


Ascendancy

by oohyou



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, EXO (Band), NCT (Band), SHINee, SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multi, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Sci-Fi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-01-23 12:16:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 51,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21320050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oohyou/pseuds/oohyou
Summary: This was all supposed to be a simple job for Taemin, a quick in and out for some money and then on to the next job. However, life had different plans. Now he was on the run with an unconscious prince and a strange weapon that will not leave him alone.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taemin
Comments: 29
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

..........

Fish cakes, dumplings, pancakes, noodles…, Taemin’s gaze jumped from stall to stall, all bursting with delicious food he couldn’t eat.

The urge to whine and complain rose in his throat as hunger pulled at his stomach.

'I need some money,' Taemin lamented to himself.

The torture continued as he passed a chicken stand. Maybe if he asked them for their left-over grease they’d give it to him for free?

"Taem?"

That was a good plan.

"Taemin."

Maybe it wasn’t such a good plan? The thought of lukewarm chicken grease coating his insides wasn’t as appetizing on second thought.

'I need money…,'

The thought repeated itself in Taemin’s mind, the grumble of his stomach loud in his ears as he drifted away from the food stalls.

"Taemin! Are you listening to me?"

A complaint came from his side coupled with a harsh tug on his arm.

Stirred from his musing, Taemin finally tuned to his younger brother "Yeah. Of course, Yonngie."

The glare he received from Taeyong was enough for him to admit the truth.

“I’m Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. What were you saying Taeyonngie?” Taemin asked, smoothing his hands over the handles of his motorbike which he dragged alongside him.

Placated enough by his admission, Taeyong grew quiet, gluing himself to Taemin’s side frowning down at his toasted sandwich.

Taemin unconsciously licked at his dry lips.

The sandwich looked tasty, and decent enough to have spent his last few credits on.

It was a good thing he had a job lined up soon.

"Do I have to go to school today?” Taeyong asked, finally finding his words, “Why can't I stay home?”

"Yes, you have to go," Taemin answered, "Appa's been so excited about you getting into the academy on Nova-X, he's been telling the whole neighborhood.”

‘Just like when I had been accepted,’ the thought drifted past Taemin’s mind.

His ‘heart’ shifted uncomfortably in his chest.

Blinking hard, Taemin failed to relieve the burning sensation in his 'eye' that had been bothering him for the past couple of days.

Just a few reminders of everything that was wrong with him now.

“Appa even told the Yi's, those uppity assholes. You know they only pick three students a year from this hunk of rock, right?” he shook at Taeyong’s shoulder, “…and the Yi’s daughter wasn’t one of them."

A mild panic panned over Taeyong’s face at Taemin's words.

He understood. His and their appa's expectations were a lot to place on Taeyong's rapidly growing shoulders. But, Taeyong had the potential to be great, blessed with both intelligence and a steady level headedness that he must have inherited from their absent other parent, because Taemin was sure that neither he nor his appa possessed such restraint. So, he was going to continue to push the idea that Taeyong was meant for greater things, until his brilliant little brother believed it himself.

"Brighten up Yonngie, you’re going to the best academy in the whole federation with 'guaranteed employment afterwards'," Taemin emphasized the academies infamously cringy but true tagline," Not a lot of students choose strategic studies and spatial engineering as majors. And you'll be on Nova-x the main federation planet. A place with borders so closed that you have to pay to even glimpse at it."

Nova-x was the 'Jewel of the Twelve,' the home of the imperial family, and both the martial and economic center of the whole exo star system. He's never been there himself, but the stories hes heard of the planets lush mountains and colorful landscape made him envious of all those who got to live there or even visit.

Wrapping an arm on Taeyong’s shoulder, Taemin pulled him even closer, "you don't know how lucky you are. During my time in the academy I was stuck on country ass Serenity Fields, Serenity; where there's corn as far as the eye can see and little else, "Taemin finished, his words getting Taeyong to relax somewhat, though his face still seemed a little conflicted.

"... you could visit me when I'm there?" Taeyong said unsurely.

He also wasn't so sure.

His rap sheet was about a mile long, and Nova-x rarely allowed people with a criminal record to enter the planet.

Taeyong bit his lip, clenching tightly around the empty wrapper of his food, "Or maybe not-"

"...s-sorry Yonngie."

“Its’s fine,” Taeyong replied giving Taemin a quick side hug, "it's ok really….but...the thing is…," Taeyong slumped, "you're going away soon Taem, and I wanted to hang out before I leave. But I don't know when you'll be back."

Taemin exhaled, running a soothing hand down Taeyong’s arm, "Come on now, I told you that I would be back home for your graduation, didn't I?"

By home, he meant Talios V, a moon of the small mining borderplanet of Bari, full of monotonous grey rock and nothing else. The moon was also located on the far edge of the exodus system, so far away from the twelve main planets that many forgot it existed.

Something that was both good and not so good.

Although Talios V was relatively safe most of the time, the general lack of federation surveillance and patrols led to a steady flow of unsavory people and black-market dealings in and out of the moon to other planets within and outside of the exodus star system. Hence why he walked his seventeen-year-old brother to the only high school on the small moon when he could.

They made it to the front gate of the school just as the stern guard was about to close it. The short and plump woman scowled at them as they got closer.

Taemin grinned as he waved at her.

"You did," Taeyong agreed hurriedly, shying away from the guard’s glare as he picked up his bag from Taemin's bike.

"Good. Now hurry up your almost late I'll see you later," he continued, plopping his hand onto his brother's head as the younger passed by, messing up Taeyong's particularly styled hair.

"Taemin!" Taeyong exploded, receiving a surprised eyeful from the guard near then, "it took me forever to style it," Taeyong replied in a considerably lower voice, embarrassed.

"Come on, you look better this way," Taemin laughed, backing away from the fuming Taeyong before his brother's flailing hands caught him.

Waving a quick goodbye, Taemin turned quickly.

He had to get home fast.

His vision was blurring in his left eye and the burning sensation in it was growing worse. Clenching his palms against the pain, Taemin mounted his bike and swiftly made his way back to his appa's restaurant. Having forgotten his goggles, Taemin made sure to close his bad eye to stop from getting debris in it. Moon dust was awful and stuck onto everything, it would be hell if he got it in his eye.

The purple UV streetlights mixed in with the azure glimmer from the terraforming shield, which engulfed the moon, illuminated unpaved ashen roads as Taemin made his way to the moon’s only ship port.

A cluttered metallized eyesore, is how he would describe the Port of Talios V. The port itself had two levels, the first on the surface where the town was located, and another underground were the ships were stored. Along with being both the main entrance and exit of the moon, it doubled as the primary residence hub for the moon’s small population of mostly miners. The homes where prefabricated, installed by the old federation pioneers, which meant that most of them held a significant amount of deterioration and rust; and were grouped together in a way that made traveling through the area with anything bigger than a bike unfathomable.

………

The journey was quick as per usual, the roads were clear due to all the miners being planet side.

Taemin groaned in relief once Bari's vibrant amethyst surface appeared on the horizon, lighting the sky more than the ever-distant Helios, the biggest star in the exodus system.

He was almost home.

Maneuvering into the central commerce area, Taemin parked his bike in front of the restaurants unremarkable entrance, then proceeded to enter the eatery quickly, making sure to lock the doors behind him before making his way deeper inside.

The restaurant hadn't opened yet, it wouldn't open for another few hours, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see his appa chopping up vegetables in prep for the upcoming afterwork crowd from the partition in the dining hall.

In their almost ten years on Talios V, it had taken his appa only two of them to become one of the more popular spots on the port, offering a variety of food, from local fare to interplanetary dishes.

Entering the kitchen, Taemin shook his head. His appa had three employees that could do the menial tasks such as food prep for him, but he insisted on doing mostly everything himself

"Appa?" Taemin called out, immediately gaining the man’s attention.

"What's wrong Taemin?" Jaejoong hummed, briefly looking away from the mountain of onions blocking his face, in a second the loud clatter of a knife hitting the counter was heard and a harsh curse left Jaejoong’s mouth as he tore off his gloves.

It took only three steps for his appa to be on him. Taemin had barely grasped onto the sink behind him to keep from being pushed into it.

“Appa wait-!”

"How long has your eye been in this state?" Jaejoong asked, pushing a finger into the reddened skin now surrounding Taemin's eye socket. Taemin flinched away out of pure reflex, his skin was fine, any pain felt was in the back of his head.

"When did this start?" Jaejoong reiterated, the crease between his eyebrows growing deeper the more he poked around at Taemin's eye.

"Well…," Taemin paused, faltering under his appa’s hawk like intensity.

What he did for employment was no secret. He was a freelancer, he traveled across star systems doing any and every job imaginable. Excluding murder and kidnapping, for the right price he would be your get away pilot or cut your lawn; he wasn’t choosey.

Freelancing was not a dream job but following his dreams didn't quite work out for him.

Scrutinizing where he gained his possible injury, Taemin realized that it might of happen weeks back during his last job. After being repeatedly bashed in the head with a cane while serving high court papers to a astoundingly strong older woman on Perdias, the nearest main planet to Bari. It had taken the help of four bystanders and the woman's son to get her off him.

….how embarrassing.

He wasn't going to tell his appa that.

"I…was in a high-speed chase...," Taemin continued, licking at his suddenly dry lips, "you should have been there appa…"

Jaejoong gave Taemin a sharp look.

"Or not?” Taemin wavered, his eyes tracing the creases of the tiled wall above his appa’s dark hair, piecing a story together quickly, “I was on a boat you see…sailing through the salt plains on Perdias countryside. There was water everywhere, even on the boat because there was a crack it it…and the sail had fallen off," Taemin's arms spread wide, imagining the scene.

"The salt plains on Perdias are nowhere near water,” Jaejoong stated quietly, throwing his gloves in the sink behind Taemin.

That was true.

Catching Taemin’s lie, Jaejoong's body his shook with soundless laughter, "you know what? keep going Taem, I want to see were this goes," Jaejoong said, a fond smile gracing his face.

Shrugging mentally Taemin decided that he might as well go all out with the nonsense he was spewing.

"Now that I remember correctly, I was speeding down the salt plains in a buggy I found somewhere. What I didn’t know was that it belonged to one of the riches families on the planet-"

"It seems very unlikely that you'd be able to steal from the the Lee's of Perdias, they have a strong foothold over everything concerning security on every planet-"

"Appa. Let me finish my story-no," Taemin cut himself off, "let me finish telling you what happened. Now imagine me-."

"There's a of imagination going on right now," Jaejoong murmured unhelpfully, whilst putting his prepping utensils away.

Unaffected by his appa’s interference, Taemin continued, "By now the Feds have caught up to me. They brought a dozen-no two dozen drones with them and they flew over me ready to fire their phasers at a moment’s notice. Then they had me cornered, and thus, the standoff began-"

"Taemin," Jaejoong interrupted, looking both amused and exasperated, "if you don’t want to tell me how you hurt your eye that's fine."

Good.

He was running out of ideas.

"It was nothing major appa," Taemin slumped, "the reasons actually pretty stupid and I think it knocked a wire out in there," he motioned to his head.

"Okay, let's get that fix before it gets worse," Jaejoong replied, guiding him towards the back door of the restaurant to the entrance of their residence.

Traveling past their living room and kitchen they reached a hidden spare room in the back, reaching for his collar Jaejoong pulled out a chain with a key on the end and unlocked the door. The contents of the room were the family secret. Apart from emergencies, like the current one, none of them talked about the room in public.

"Sit down while I get things ready," Jaejoong directed him gently into a retrofitted dental chair.

Reclining, Taemin watched on as Jaejoong prepared.

The room itself was small, but every inch of it was filled with state-of-the-art tech only found within the richest of the main planets. Park Technology computers and holographic displays lined the wall nearest the door with hacked Lee Communications servers beneath them, Jung Industries medical equipment and supplies dominated the opposite wall at just an arm’s length next to him, and another door leading into the garage was secured tight with an adulterated Oh & Company biometric scanner on the handle. If that wasn't enough, there were crates stacked at the furthest corner of the room, all marked with the Kim family imperial seal.

The room was inundated with illegal shit, all acquired somehow by his appa; one imperial crate alone could get them life in prison.

“Give me moment to block the room and put the house on the back up energy," Jaejoong stated, turning on one the first of the many monitors.

Closing his eyes briefly, he exhaled and trusted his appa to know what he was doing.

How his appa knew all the things he did, Taemin did not know. He may never say it aloud, but it always made him somewhat uncomfortable that he knew so little of the man's life before he and Taeyong came into the picture. The man my play at being a chef, but Taemin knew that there was much more, nobody picks the last moon in the whole system to live in by choice.

Before Taemin could ruminate anymore, jaejoong filled into the empty seat in front of the multiple screens, his glasses balanced securely on his nose as he rapidly typed something into the computer.

"All right, we're fully booted up and ready to begin," Jaejoong declared, turning slightly towards his son,"Taem? Other than your eye, is there anything else we should check while were here?" Jaejoong asked distracted by Taemin's file which appeared on the screen before him.

"None that I can think of."

He consistently ached in various places, but actual pain? He hadn't really felt that in a while.

"Do a dexterity check on your hand please? Any difference?"

Lifing his left hand, Taemin pressed each finger to his thumb in quick succession, the last two moving stiffer than the rest, as usual.

Jaejoong nodding at the action, "...that's at about a seventy eight percent dexterity, with minimal sensation in both the little and ring fingers. Consistent."

"Onto to your leg, has your knee replacement been bothering you in anyway?"

"No," Taemin answered, my moving his left leg freely.

"Great….," Jaejoong answered absentmindedly, clicking something on the screen, "your heart?"

"Still ticking," Taemin tapped on his chest.

The only good thing he got out of being in the imperial federation was the non-counterfeit Jung Industries artificial heart. Jung Industries was known for its quality not quantity, he had heard that even the elite on Nova-x had difficulty acquiring products from the enigmatic company. Apparently, he had been a hand selected charity case. Something he very much appreciated; he wouldn't have survived without it.

He had been lucky.

"It’s ticking very well," Jaejoong beamed, turning to Taemin,"your EKG readings are in the average for someone your age."

"Thank you, Dr. Kim," Taemin saluted.

"You welcome Mr. Kim," Jaejoong said seriously, his smirk breaking the facade fast, "Now let's get to the main problem."

Rolling away from the monitors, Jaejoong made his way to the fridge on Taemin's side. Searching in it, he pulled out a bowl of antiseptic solution, surely bought off the black market on the count of its tampered Jung industries label. Exploring the surface of his desk, Jaejoong gathered a small brown box. Swinging his chair next to Taemin, Jaejoong opened the seat drawer pulling out gloves and a modified eye clamp.

"Are you ready?" Jaejoong asked softly, brushing Taemin's fringe away from his face as he turned on the overhead light and lowered Taemin's seat.

"As I'll ever be," Taemin nodded.

Which was never.

He hated this.

He hated his appa's melancholy whenever he was around. He hated Taeyong's sudden anxiety whenever he left for a job.

He hated his own inability to get over his past.

He had been like this for three years, he thought he would be better by now. Yet all he wanted to do was to return to a time when his mind was restful, he had a career to look forward to, he had a body that worked...a time when Minho was alive.

Taemin's breath hitched and his hands clenched on the armrest involuntarily as his heart rate picked up. He jumped at the pop of a container next to his head, the proceeding snap of his appa’s gloves and the screech of metal on metal from the eye clamp, made him bit bite his to keep from screaming out as flashes of how he became this way appeared in his mind.

It was becoming too much.

"Taemin, I need you to open your eyes," Jaejoong stated, tapping Taemin on the nose while applying anesthetic gel around his eye, his behind the facemask reassuring, "The worst of it should be over with fast."

Taking a deep breath, Taemin complied.

The clamp stung sharply as it pried Taemin’s left eye open, and the pressure from his appa’s finger was momentarily unbearable before it slid deep inside his eye socket twisting the cybernetic limb out as slightly as he could.

The sensation made him squirm.

"Shit!" Jaejoong cursed and Taemin jerked back as a loose wire zapped them, "Taem, would you please stop fidgeting?"

"Sorry."

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier about this? With how detached this is it's a miracle that you could see anything," keeping his hand steady, Jaejoong continued take the cybernetic out.

"My eyesight on that side has been in and out for the last few days," Taemin tried to explain, the slither of cables in his eye socket causing him to shiver in disgust, "I didn't tell you, cause I know how you feel about my job appa. You would have blamed it for the injury."

It was always strange when the cybernetic disconnected, forcing him to rely on his organic eye. His was mostly a standard issue Park Technologies prosthetic, more meant to fill out an empty socket and then help him see again.

That was until his appa got his hands on it, and after that the world around him grew different.

The world under the mechanical lens was a lot more vibrant and interesting. Finding someone grew easier with facial recognition, and the probability calculations got him out (and in) of more scrapes than he cared to think about. The only downside to all of these 'upgrades' was the fact that they were, once again, illegal in the eyes of the Imperial Federation. If word got about how much his cybernetic could do; he would first, lose his eye, and then be jailed. Whatever code his appa used to hide it, must be untraceable, another thing to add on the ever-growing list of the mystery that was the man.

"If I seem disapproving, it’s because I know the dangers that come with your job Taem. I can't stop you though, it would make me a hypocrite," Jaejoong answered, extracting the cybernetic completely from Taemin's socket, "Jobs like yours, were how I afforded to keep a roof over our heads for years before we had the restaurant."

One thing he did know about his appa was the man’s bandit past.

Taemin nodded recollection, "Oh yeah, the old heist on P-34’s third ring, before it was a prison planet. Many say that it's why it turned into a prison planet."

Jaejoong frowned at him, giving him no response.

"Allegedly," Taemin shrunk, wincing away, "…sorry."

Sometimes he should learn to shut up.

"It's fine Taemin. I just want you to remember that at that time I had two children to take care of, and no home to speak of," Jaejoong sighed, stepping away to plop the cybernetic carefully in the prepared antiseptic solution, "I was desperate. My only hope is that a similar desperation hasn't been guiding your decisions lately."

Avoiding his appa’s disappointment, Taemin turned his free eye to the two clocks on the far wall. The beige paint behind the clocks themselves was blander than normal and he couldn't read the second clock at all without his cybernetics’ translator. Not that it would provide him with much information anyways, since it was for an unknown location that was not the moon they were currently one.

Why it was there? He did not know.

“From what I see, one of the cables disconnected and tried some of the others,” Jaejoong stated detaching the remaining cables from their input in his socket and pulling the rest of the implant out. Peeling away the cybernetics flesh sleeve, Jaejoong consulted with himself as he examined its circuitry, alleviating some of the tension in the room.

Taemin breath was still stilted, even with the shift in topic he knew the subject of his job would rear its ugly head back to them soon enough.

"I recently bought-”Jaejoong began, but was cut off by Taemin’s raised eyebrows, “….I’ve recently acquired the latest in Jung circuitry, which should be much hardier that the cables you had last Taem…,”Jaejoong continued distracted, his hands deep in the slimy solution doing sorcery on the cybernetic object getting it to open, "I think I’m going update the chip inside and give it some new upgrades, any request?"

Not waiting for an answer, his appa continued with his observations.

Jaejoong grimaced once the he finally pried the cybernetic open, “This is a mess. How long have you been in pain Taemin?" His appa asked deliberately, his nagging face emerging, "and when were you going to tell me Taemin? When it exploded in your head!"

"No…." Taemin withered in his seat, “I honestly didn’t know it was that bad.”

Jaejoong huffed, "At least we found out in time. I had been meaning to put upgrades in it anyways."

"See how life works,” Taemin brightened, sending his appa a grin, "Are you going to tell me what those upgrades are?"

"No, I want it to be a surprise," Jaejoong rejected, a slight manic look glossing over his eyes as he connected the cybernetic to one of his computers.

"As long as their helpful appa. No funny business, like lasers."

"Why would I do that, you're my baby," Jaejoong declared, handing an eyepatch to Taemin.

"And I'm also your favorite," Taemin fitted the item over his eyes, "don't worry, I won’t tell Taeyonngie."

Jaejoong chuckled, slapping Taemin lightly on the forehead, "go down to the dining kitchen, there's food for you. When you finish, we'll look at the ship."

……….

Excited to see the improvements on his ship, Taemin ate fast then made his way down to the garage.

The garage, being a private space within the second level of the port that was attached to their home. It was essentially a docking bay, large enough to fit both his and his appa’s ships. while his appa had a cargo ship, which was silver in color and big enough to carry his produce needs for the restaurant when he took his monthly trip to the bountiful planet of Vunides.

His ship was right beside it.

His one and only.

His lady love, his C.H.U.N.K.

There was no real meaning to the acronym messily scrawled in red paint on the right side of his ship. He just thought it looked cool and the spray paint was permanent, some special mix he picked up on a random backwater station, he learned quickly that he couldn't get it out.

Painted in a matte black, C.H.U.N.K was a repurposed defender they had rescued from a scrap yard. And man, she was ugly; broad and bulging in the front cockpit, then thin and awkward at the wings, with innumerable dents and scratches along her body. But what she lacked visually, she made up for with personality. In his incredibly biased opinion, she was the fastest defender he had ever had the pleasure of piloting, with the most advance engine a ship of its class could have, thanks to his ‘jobs’ and his appa’s engineering magic.

She was amazing.

She was also currently being serviced by his appa, who had spent weeks fixing her up and had now connected his tablet to the ship's engine’s interface.

“Taemin, how many times do I have to remind you that your ship is not a toy," Jaejoong eyed Taemin from the top of his tablet, "I had to recalibrate your upshift, uncouple your axial boosters, your torsional terminal was giving off static discharge, I had to reroute your auxiliary power because one of the core fuses had busted, and I fixed your keyboard. How did you break that!" Jaejoong unplugged himself and closed the side port of the ship before making way to the messy workstation in the corner of the room.

The garage was completely different from the last room they were in. Whilst the other was state of the art and immaculate, the garage was a disarray of cables and random ship parts. Even the laptop on his appa’s workstation had seen better days.

"I don't remember," Taemin answered truthfully.

"Anyways, your fuel cells have been refilled, you should have enough to get you from here to the other side of the system, thrice."

"Thank you appa," Taemin answered shrugging on one of his jackets, his meeting was in an hour he should be heading out.

"You're welcome, you don’t pay me enough for all I do for you," Jaejoong answered, his stance relaxed stated the opposite.

"I don’t pay you at all."

" I know and it's a tragedy," Jaejoong looked forlorn at C.H.U.N.K, "some of my best work goes into this ship, and it goes so unappreciated."

"It’s very appreciated appa. I have to leave soon," Taemin hugged Jaejoong, squeezing at his impossible waist.

Shaking his head Jaejoong bent over his laptop, checking on the multiple progress bars on the screen, "Your upgrades should be done by the time you get back, I'll be in the kitchen for the time being. Be safe out there!" Jaejoong called after Taemin as he exchanged his eyepatch for glasses, which were opaque enough to hide his missing appendage.

Digging into his back pocket, Taemin pulled out his communicator. He had been sent his current job offer via a very cryptic text telling him to meet with his would-be employers by the old terraformer.

He had never met his 'boss', the person who sent him the messages, but the mysterious person has yet to steer him wrong, although his trepidation grew as he drove further and further away from the moons main port.

The moon beyond the port was essentially barren except for the old terraforming tower left to waste in the middle of the moon.

Where the bandits and bootleggers congregate.

Speaking of bootleggers, he can now see his intermediate handler Shindong, talking to two men who looked out of place.

Extremely out of place.

Both the strangers were tall, statuesque, and held a tan on their skin that spoke of planets near an actual star. The UV lights that flooded the roads of all the boarder planets, usually left most inhabitants skin pale. The material of their clothes was also dark and silky, silk simply was not found on any of the planets and moons this side of the system. But the biggest red flag, was the mask that they wore on their face.

They didn’t want to be identified, which usually also meant for a big payday for him.

This will be interesting.

Stopping his bike, he quickly got off and made his way towards Shindong and the masked men.

"Hello, I'm Francesco, what can I help you with today?" Taemin introduced himself with his alias, giving them a winning smile.

This job should be easy.

........

(Elsewhere on Nova-x)

"New patient?" Jongin asked Baekhyun, the junior head imperial physician, as he waded past the crowded passage of the palace’s infirmary.

Spotting him, Baekhyun glared from behind his face mask before recovering, "Your highness, please forgive my boldness, but why are you here without any protective gear?’

Jongin had to stop himself from recoiling.

Baekhyun was barely restraining himself, he could tell by the way the medic furiously tapped on his tablet. Ever since the plague had begun the medic had been running on fumes and seeing him in between all the ailing people must be fraying his nerves.

He was very sure that if they weren't in public, Baekhyun would have been telling him what was exactly on his mind.

Looking around the crowded infirmary, Jongin noted that the other medics and nurses were tending to their patients and shuffling them into side rooms; the rest were stragglers who loitered in corners, mostly the palace staff waiting for his every command.

"You all may retire from my care and help my father," Jongin called out into the room, the staffs heads were bowed, but the barest nods told him that his words were heard, "his majesty and his imperial council are convened in the palace forum, they may need your assistance more than me at this moment."

"Yes, my prince," a chorus of voices rang out before the staff shuffled out of the area.

"Should we go to your office Baek?" Jongin asked, turning back to the junior head medic.

"Of course, my prince," Baekhyun mimicked with an exaggerated bow, the caramel tresses on his head sweeping at the floor before standing up.

Yes, he was the crown prince, next in line to take over the title of Imperial Emperor of the House of Kim for the Exo star system. Though he wasn’t the eldest child in his family, he was the only one blessed by the elder gods with the power of teleportation. A trait both he, Baekhyun, and a few others share in the star system, and the main reason they were childhood friends.

Pushing playfully at the medic's back, they reached Baekhyun's office swiftly.

The space was clean, full of sleek furniture, and overlooked the seemingly endless city that shared the planet’s namesake of Nova-x.

Throwing himself into his chair, Baekhyun groaned as he rubbed at his temple, "Please sit down Jongin."

“What no more honorifics? I feel used.”

He giggled at the glower Baekhyun threw at him.

"How are things?" Jongin asked.

"Everything’s a mess Jongin!" Baekhyun growled, slamming his tablet down on the nearest table, "Where were you?"

He had been on a treaty negotiation expedition to the planet Opia, the home of his father's Imperial Commander and the founder of Jung Industries, Jung Yunho. Their talks had gone well, although he had to leave early when called about the advancing plague within his home planets walls.

"Did you finally convince Jung’s stingy ass to provide us with some of his equipment," Baekhyun hissed.

This time Jongin did recoil, but in light shock.

Although he sympathized with Baekhyun’s mood, the medic didn’t realize how vast the commander’s aid was, though it couldn’t be helped since Baekhyun knew little of the federation’s inner workings outside of medical branch.

Exhaling, Jongin decided that he wouldn't let Baekhyun’s line of thinking continue.

"I can't say that I know him personally, but father does, and I trust his judgment. I understand your grievances about Mr. Jung, but don’t insult him because you can’t get new toys. He's been nothing but kind to us and the citizens of this planet, and he’s at liberty to give his technology to who he deems fit," seeing Baekhyun’s shoulders deflate, Jongin decided to finish with the topic, "Keep talking like that and I'll return all the equipment we acquired for you."

Jongin watched on as Baekhyun’s demeaner shifted. He disliked using his station to reprimand his friends, but he will if he had to.

"Sorry Jongin, I overstepped with my words. I'm stressed and I should know how to deal with it better," Baekhyun apologized.

"Everything’s fine, just remember the company you keep when you say things like that. They may react worse than I, " Jongin explained, "I'm also sorry for the lecture."

Baekhyun waved the apology off, switching on his tablets HOLO function, "Let's get to why we’re here."

The plague. Appearing as little as four months prior, a steadily growing number of Nova-x’s citizens had been experiencing similar fatal symptoms. The imperial palace had no idea or when or how it started.

The images Baekhyun pulled up were of two male bodies, one normal and one effected by the plague. The plague infected body looked grotesque; veins were enflamed in a red so bright it looked as if there were fire under the man’s skin, his limbs were jutted out in unnatural angles, and his mouth was open wide with red tar staining the inside.

It was a gruesome way to parish.

"Does this happen to all of them?" Jongin worried, when he had entered the infirmary there had been eight infected, double that of the last time he had been there.

"Most but not every," Baekhyun answered, flipping through more images, most of people in similar states as the first, "We have federation troops on the lookout for new cases, but with each new patient, it’s getting increasingly harder to hide from the public. I can't imagine what reaction this will have if the news ever leaves planet side."

That would be bad.

Nova-x was the center and the strong hold of the whole Imperial Federation Empire. If there is one once of weakness shown to the rest of the planets and the galaxy, what they had built could crumble.

This needed to be fixed.

"Anything else? Symptoms of any kind that we can work off of for a possible cure?"

Baekhyun, tapped on his tablet for another file.

"I don’t know, the symptoms are too varied." Baekhyun handed him the object to show him its screen, "But we know that one thing they have in common is their trance like state. Be it prone on the ground, or floating to the ceiling, in the trance they say everything and nothing," Baekhyun dropped the tablet back on his desk, his fingers lacing together in thought, "what they speak is utter nonsense. If I’m honest with you Jongin, I don’t know what we are dealing with."

That wasn’t what he was hoping to hear.

If their brightest doctor had no idea what was going on, what were the chances that anyone else would?

There was something happening in Nova-x’s pristine underbelly that didn’t sit well Jongin.

"We need to find a solution before this gets worse."

His father had been trying to resolve the situation as best he could, but being emperor meant that his attention was pulled in many different directions constanly, especially during the current conflict with the neighboring star system over increasingly anarchic territories near the mining planet Bari.

"I hope, for both our sakes that we find an answer Jongin. How most of the affected are now is no way to live. If their alive at all," Baekhyun sighed, "Plus, Chanyeol said that if I get any more stress pimples, he won't love me anymore," Baekhyun pouted.

Baekhyun's husband was another friend of Jongin’s, CEO of Park Technologies and a future imperial council member.

"How mean. You want me to punish him for you?" Jongin offered, the punishment being a nagging session so long Chanyeol will go crawling back to his husband for forgiveness.

"Yes please," Baekhyun smiled brightly.

Spotting a nurse at the doorway, Jongin took it as a signal to leave, "Anyways I should be going, I'll talk with Kyungsoo at the university to see if he can find on anything similar has happened before previously onNova-x. "

Baekyun cocked his head in surprise, "You both are on speaking terms again?"

"Yes," Jongin answered quickly, his throat tightening by the second, "even with everything that has happened, we both decided to stay friends."

Baekhyun's eyes grew worried.

Everthing that had happened, was his disastrous marriage proposal to Kyungsoo and his subsequent rejection.

He had been in love with the imperial scholar turned professor for most of his life, ever since they started school together. He had been wrapped around Kyungsoo’s small fingers ever since the other called him by his name instead of his title like everyone else. He felt like he could be himself with Kyungsoo, and not the prince persona he had to be to keep up appearances. For Kyungsoo it didn't matter that he was a prince, he was there for Jongin and Jongin only. But ultimately, it seemed like his station won out in the end. As they grew older, Kyungsoo grew more distant. Kyungsoo’s reasoning for rejecting the marriage proposal was still sort of unclear for him.

He didn't know if he could love anybody else like he did Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun diverted his eyes at his reply, choosing to end the subject, "I'll see you later, tell me if you find anything."

Jongin was grateful for the way out.

"I will."

……….

Making it to the academy was quick work when using teleportation, he was too much of a public figure to enter the normal way, leaving him in the darken back hallway of the professor’s library

The academy was massive.

By massive, he meant that the Imperial Federation’s Nova-x campus took up a great amount of land on the outskirts of the city itself; with two impossible towers surrounded by many circular buildings of various sizes. As the primary school of the federation, the academy educated and housed hundreds of thousands of students each year, he himself was a student of the very academy years ago and now Kyungsoo was a professor in training there.

Knowing that he had arrived at an hour where hardly any students were milling about, Jongin walked confidently to the back office Kyungsoo occupied. The moment he arrived at the door he was instantly called inside.

But Jongin hesitated.

Even though they had been separated for months now, the pain was still fresh in his mind. And now, seeing Kyungsoo sitting beautifully within his element, the magnificence of what he had lost weighed on him, especially because he didn’t know why he lost Kyungsoo to begin with.

Steeling himself, he stepped into the area he had once known so well. Kyungsoo’s office was small and filled to the brim with old books and random papers, but over the years he had managed to carve out a space for himself near the corner of the only window which overlooked one of the academies many courtyards. The space used to have cot. A cot that used to see them at their worst and their best. A cot that, when they were feeling adventurous, they had made love in.

The cot was gone now, replaced by a trash can.

“Hello Kyungsoo,” Jongin said as he lent against the office door frame. He did not want their talk to last long, he wasn’t s prepared to be in Kyungsoo’s presence as he thought he was.

Whenever palace life got to be too much him for years his refuge had been Kyungsoo. Without that lifeline, Jongin felt like he was drowning.

Maybe it was unfair of him to ask Kyungsoo to share the burden that was the empire.

Back to the matter at hand.

If Kyungsoo was surprised to see him, it surely didn’t show on his face. In fact, the professor found the contents on his desk very interesting today.

"Prince Kai, good afternoon," Kyungsoo said, his attention was finally on Jongin.

Prince Kai, when did he become only that in Kyungsoo's mind?

“The plague is getting worse,” Jongin declared.

Kyungsoo brows raised over his reading glasses, “Straight to business today.”

What else was Kyungsoo expecting?

“Exactly, this is serious business. None of us know what is going on?” Jongin had to stop from clenching his palm too harshly on his arm,

“And that’s why you’re here?” Kyungsoo asked slowly, blinking at Jongin in slight confusion.

“That’s the only reason why I’m here,” Jongin bit out, “you told me I could come to you for help, was that a lie?”

Kyungsoo looked away from him, “That I did.”

Opening his the side drawer of his desk, Kyungsoo pulled out a file, “This is the only information I have for you,” Kyungsoo slid the file across the desk for Jongin to take, avoiding direct contact with him.

It hurt to have Kyungsoo act so cold with him.

Taking the folder, Jongin flipped through the information provided. Diagrams where made and pictures of the plague victims were detailed. Chills ran up his back at the state most of the expired victims, their bodies were mangled and distorted in every way imaginable.

Just like what Baekhyun had shown him earlier.

They had to stop this plague somehow. He couldn't let the people of his planet suffer anymore.

“I’ve researched and compiled all of the patient’s symptoms and cataloged their possible causes, I may need to meet with Baekhyun’s researchers to find a correlation between everything,” Kyungsoo explained.

“Baekhyun had mentioned a possible case in one of our newer colony settlements, have you heard about that?” Jongin asked.

Taking off his glasses, Kyungsoo fiddled with them almost anxiously, "I have heard of such a case yes, on the planet Thea near the border worlds."

That was not good, and prompted a new host of questions in his mind; who or what had managed to transport the plague or its precursor to another territory?

Jongin sighed, placing the folder under his arm. He was ready to leave. His mind was already arranging a trip Thea.

"As soon as you’re done Kyungsoo, go and meet with Baekhyun; we may have to enact a screening process for anyone heading off planet from now on. We can't allow any of the plague to spread elsewhere. I'll see when I'm on Thea if I find this case you speak of, to confirm if it’s true or not.”

"Don't!" Kyungsoo yelped suddenly, looking as if he was having a difficult time staying in his chair, “Please don’t go alone my prince, Thea is still underdeveloped as an empire colony."

Jongin's brows furrowed in misunderstanding, "What do you expect me to do? Leave the matter alone, and wait weeks or months for a party to be gathered and hope that the plague spread during that time? It is my responsibility as-"

"It’s not your responsibility, you have a fully capable fully staffed medical research unit that can check Thea for you." Kyungsoo rebutted.

"It is my responsibility as a fully capable member of the imperial federation. If I'm not prepared for the smallest possibilities, how would I be able to handle the big ones I am sure to encounter? You have no need for concern Kyungsoo."

Jongin tried not to act as irritated as he was feeling.

Kyungsoo didn't get to do this to him. He didn't get to worry, when he was to one that walked away.

"I can't help it Jongin, you haven't been the same ever since we- we …," Kyungsoo whispered, unable to finish.

"I'm still the same person Kyungsoo, your leaving didn't change that."

"You let me leave!" Kyungsoo hands clenched into fist atop his desk in frustration.

"Yes, I did, because you asked me to. Letting go is what people do when they care about someone else’s needs more than their own," Jongin turned to leave, it would be too much to see Kyungsoo's face during what he was about to say.

"Kyung, I'm sorry for trying to force into a role you didn't want. I let you go because I love-loved you and I rather you be happy, then miserable by my side," Jongin continued, there was a finality in the way he said his words that unintentionally slipped out. Opening his mouth to take the words back, he decided to shut it once more.

"Have a good evening Professor Doh, thank you for the information you provided."

He would stay away from Kyungsoo, it was for the best.

………

After his disastrous talk with Kyungsoo, Jongin had cleared most of his schedule and set off for the planet Thea. Usually on unofficial trips like these, he’d asked his younger brother to tag along, but Jaehyun was starting his studies at the academy soon and wouldn’t do to distract him.

He wouldn’t have minded the company though.

Finding a route to the newly colonized Thea had been long winded. He had taken his personal ship instead of one of the official imperial guard ships, and he was not the best navigator so it took him a while to input the directions into the ship’s navigator, resulting in the trip taking much longer than it should have.

When finally arrived, he didn’t quite know how to feel.

Thea wasn't the most visually appealing of the existing colonies, the whole planet seemed to only have sandy brown dunes on its surface. But gaining access to the planets main shop port was easy enough. Though he felt bad for the flustered receiving agent that had not known of his impending arrival and scrambled to clear a space for his ship to land.

Immediately when leaving his ship, Thea's balmy air had dried his throat to the point of thirst. At the end of the walkway was a small gathering of people who the receiving agent must have mustered up on the fly, if he went by the disheveled looking carpenter who still grasped onto the ale he had been drinking at a stall nearby.

"Welcome to Thea my prince," the receiving agent, a older lanky gentleman, wheezed as he bowed, dressed in blue casual working clothes and not in the official receiver uniform.

He was wholly unprepared for Jongin's visit.

Now he felt really bad, he should have been more thoughtful and sent out a notice.

It was too late now though.

"I'm sorry...what is your name?"Jongin asked.

The man stood up straight, his eyes wide," W-W-Wu,"

Jongin waited a beat for the man's first name but was left wanting.

"Thank you, Mr. Wu," Jongin rested a hand briefly on the man's shaking shoulder, then addressed the small crowd that had gathered, "thank you all, you may go back to what you were, forgive the interruption."

The crowd stammered, murmuring to one another before thinning out.

"My prince, by any chance are you here to see the governor?" Mr. Wu asked consciously, his gaze wild searching for something beyond Jongin’s person.

"No. You can inform them of my arrival, but their presence is not needed at the moment. Actually, I'm looking for someone," Jongin stated, tapping on his wrist holo gadget, "I don't have a name, but I was given a location. Could you perhaps point me to the right direction?"

The receiving agent looked at the coordinates before addressing Jongin once more in vexation.

"Not to question you my prince, but are you sure this is where you want to go?"

Yes, he was. It was the location Kyungsoo had given him, he had no doubt that it was where he was supposed to go.

"Yes, is there something wrong?"

Mr. Wu threw him several more distressed looks before heaving a sigh, "No. Not exactly my prince. Only, most of that area is abandoned, it used to be housing for factory workers back when Thea was but just an outpost for the…rebels," he said steadily, unsure of how Jongin might react at the mention of rebels.

While Rebels were a problem, once upon a time, the Imperial Federation had stomped out most of their factions before he was born. And though it was true that not everyone was happy with the federation, the threat of a sudden rebel uprising this day and age was almost null.

Hesitating under his lack of reply, Mr. Wu continued, failing to cover up the stammer in his words, "R-rest assured that was all before even my great grandfather was born. the area is nowe rural with a few scattered residents, and the…,"Mr. Wu paused, wringing at his wrist strongly as he struggled with his next words.

"And…?" Jongin urged, already feeling his, usually generous, patience ebb away.

"I-I sh-, should maybe take you to the governor, he could explain bette-r."

"And?" Jongin insisted, not really in the mood for dealing with dignitaries.

Mr. Wu gulped, "In that area there's a building called the oldest house, a leftover relic from the rebellion days. Nobody goes near it."

"Why?"

"It’s near bandit land. Outside of these walls here,” Mr. Wu motioned to the tall metallic walls dividing the city from the port, “and around a few other cities, the outskirts of Thea are fairly lawless,…or so I'm told," Wu shrugged, "I've never been outside the walls, we travel by sub trains to the neighboring cities."

Now this was an issue.

Ever since the collapse of the rebellion, many were left with few employment opportunities. So many ex-rebels and others had turn to thievery. Some forming syndicates large enough to raid through all the twelve main planets and beyond.

Bandits, where the bane of the federation’s existence nowadays, but they still weren’t worse than the rebels; or so he was told.

“And this place I want to go to, is it accessible by this train you speak of?” Jongin asked, no matter the obstacle he needed to confirm if the plague had been spread, or else Thea would have an even worse problem than just bandits. With basically the whole population sequestered in walls, the plague would be catastrophe.

Mr.Wu began to sweat once more at the mere suggestion of him going outside of Thea’s fortified walls, “My prince, do you-?”

“I do,” Jongin said with the finality only royalty could give.

Mr.Wu withdrew with abruptness, “O-h…well, forgive me my prince, but it’s very dangerous outside of the walls, you might need a clearance and if something should happen to you-”

“Who would I need to talk with to get clearance for that?” Jongin cut in, He was getting short on time, Helios was diming, and night was soon to follow.

“Well…that would be me.” Wu pointed at himself in uncertainty.

“Well?” Jongin gestured, taking a stylus from his breast pocket.

Slumping, Mr. Wu nodded in acceptance, nothing he could say would keep Jongin from doing what he set out to do, not that he got to say much to begin with.

“I’ll be right back, I need my official tablet,” Wu said, swiftly heading for the shed that served as his office.

Seconds later, Wu was back with his tablet, the gold and orange emblem from the planet large and ostentatious on its back, “Ok my prince, I only need you to sign a few documents for liability and insurance reasons, and since you here with diplomatic immunities I will not ask nor make you sign a release for what exactly you are doing on planet. After that I’ll program the coordinates into your navigator, and you should be on your way.”

“Perfect,” Jongin stated, signing his name on the bottom of the document while barely reading them.

……….

About an hour and a half later, Jongin heard the ping of his on-board navigation system.

Getting up from his lounge seat near the front controls, Jongin typed away at them to prepare for descent.

Observing the view that greeting him from the outside, he understood how true Wu’s information had been.

What he was meet with was essentially a small ghost town in the middle of the dessert. Four or five streets were lined with old deserted houses, all to leading up to a cement behemoth that touched the sky.

The oldest house. Or so he was told, did not look like a house but an office building, which fit into the narrative of the town being an old rebel outpost.

Strapping into his seat, Jongin looked for were to land.

Leaving the ship, he was met with air just as dry as before but colder. The area was mostly barren, the only vegetation to be seen were a few cactuses in the distance.

Securing his ship closed, Jongin headed for his destination, kicking up an obscene amount of dust along the way.

It was also very quiet, too quiet for his comfort, not even a breeze blew past him to fill his ears.

He wanted to get this over with.

In the directions Kyungsoo had given him, his destination was the fifth house on what he would consider the main street, closest to the oldest house building.

Something about the building was eerie, there were no windows until about what he would consider the tenth floor and through all those windows glowed a dim red light.

Were their people in the building?

Should he check and see?

Jongin immediately shook his head, he had to focus at the task at hand.

However, as he neared the residence, something strange happened. The front entrance of the building opened wide, the screech of its underused hinges loud in the deserted town.

Swallowing dryly, Jongin was instantly met with a dilemma, proceed to the residence that he was supposed to investigate? Or enter the ominous gloomy abandon building?

He flinched once the lights inside the building suddenly turned on.

What was that?

Without thinking Jongin found himself walking into the building.

At the front entrance there was little more than a reception desk and with a decomposing red and black emblem from the old rebellion above it.

If he truly had any sense, he would be walking back out of the building right at that moment.

But that wasn’t the case. His legs decided for him once again, taking him into a darken hallway nearby.

Something was wrong. He didn’t know what it was though, the corridor was seemingly empty, but his instincts were screaming at him.

Then he felt.

On his back, it felt like someone or something was looking at him.

But there was no one in the building, right?

Heart racing, Jongin turned around swiftly, just to find nothing.

It was the sound of boots on linoleum, that sent Jongin off into a run. Unfortunately, he ran in the opposite direction of where he came and ended up in an equally dark open office space.

Hearing more footfalls added to the first, Jongin quickly ducked under a desk searching frantically for an exit he could teleport to that would take him away from his mysterious pursuers.

But when he found one, try as he might, he couldn’t get his body to do what usually came so easily.

As the sound got closer, the room started to become disoriented. If it were by design or by Jongin’s own rising panic, he did not know.

He was now stuck with another dilemma; he could confront whatever whoever it was chasing him or run some more. Although this wouldn’t be the first attempt on his life and he was a trained fighter, he had no idea how many people were chasing him. He might be outnumbered.

So, he ran, darting out from under the desk to the nearest open door. Normally, in his many previous experiences, his running was usually met with a series of loud shouts. Not this time. This time he was followed by an ever-persistent silence, and that scared him.

Running blindly even deeper into the building, Jongin felt his previous disorientation increase. The corridor he was on seemed endless, and the red glow he’d seen from the outside tricked his eyes, making him turn into too many dead ends. Like the one he was currently at.

Jongin’s mind was at a standstill, he was usually more prepared for things…for everything. But something about the building that wasn’t good. Ever since entering the oldest house he didn’t feel quite right, his inability to teleport to safety added on to his assumption.

He was trapped.

And whatever it was that was following him knew this to.

It was at that moment that he regretted not telling anyone at the palace where he was going. Sure, Kyungsoo would have an idea, but he hadn’t told him when he was setting off for Thea. And Mr. Wu?…Mr. Wu had tried to warn him; he just didn’t listen.

Well he regretted that now.

He turned around too late, the shadowy figures were already on him, quickly tying his hands together and covering his eyes with a blindfold.

"Where are you taking me!" Jongin’s yell echoed, as he was dragged into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicidal thoughts and actions.

..........

“And~your thrusters are in good condition C.H.U.N.K, congrats!” Taemin checked the last item on his list with a flourish, while humming along to a song on the radio as he pulled down the lever of his ships docking bay.

His encounter with his current employers had been brief, with a short explanation of where he was to go and what he was to get, they had given him a safeguard in the form of a badge and went on their way.

Now, a week later, he was readying to leave.

Stepping away from his pilot’s chair, Taemin moved towards the cot stuffed into a nearby corner where Taeyong was sprawled asleep. His younger brother had stayed up all night helping with the last tune up’s on C.H.U.N.K before his departure.

"Yong..," Taemin shook at his brother's bare shoulders. Somehow during the night Taeyong had taken off his shirt, never mind that the moon was normally extremely chilly at night. Taeyong’s body ran very hot, Taemin could feel the heat under his hands.

He could also feel bone.

'He needs to eat more,' Taemin thought briefly, paying little mind to his equally thin frame as he shook at the younger some more.

"Yong."

He got nothing more than a grumble out of Taeyong as he wiggled deeper into the cot.

Now this just wouldn't do.

'Yongie~," Taemin short song was his only warning before jumping onto his brother’s back. For his efforts, he was awarded with a loud gasp as Taeyong was harshly awoken.

"Taem-!" Taeyong’s shout was muffled by the pillow next to his face.

"Taeyongie~" Taemin continued, digging his bony fingers into Taeyong’s ribs.

“Ahh!” Taeyong shrieked, jerking away from the touch, "stop!"

"Yong~"

"Appa! Get him off me!" Taeyong struggled out of his grasp, sliding onto the cabin floor with a loud thump with his arms still in Taemin's clutches.

"Appa~"Taemin mocked, "get him off me~," he strained, trying but failing to haul his brother back to him.

"Taemin get off of him."

Taemin immediately let go once his appa's voice sounded from outside the cabin entrance.

Noting his reaction, Taeyong stuck his tongue out and flipped him off. Taemin did the same in return before their appa appeared.

They were literal children now.

Entering the cabin with an exasperated huff, Jaejoong rolled his eyes before pointing at the youngest among them.

"Yong where the hell is your shirt?" Jaejoong stated, unplugging his maintenance tablet from the ship’s mainframe with his other hand.

“I don’t know?” Taeyong blinked innocently at the cot, as if his partial nudity wasn't a regular occurrence in the household.

Catching Jaejoong's look, Taemin found and tossed the shirt over to his brother, "Put it back on, you'll catch a cold. It's like zero degrees in here."

It wasn't that cold, but the ship did need new insulation because there was a draft.

His appa nodded at him in unspoken approval.

"It’s not even that cold," Taeyong grumbled while putting the article on, but then unbuttoned his pants, “I’m hot.”

Taemin pulled his appa towards the pilot’s station before he had an aneurysm and hurled poor Taeyong back into the house by force.

"Have you finished the last checks?" Taemin pointed to the station’s monitors.

Jaejoong glanced at him meaningfully but allowed himself to be moved to the multiple deck HOLO screens, "yes, but we need to go over something before you leave."

Tapping on one of the screens, Jaejoong expanded the map view of the course Taemin was to trek to Thea.

With one glance at the map, Taemin immediately saw the problem.

Lit up in the middle of the map was the blue prime planet Nova-X, and very close to it as the green trail marks of the journey he was to take.

Very close.

Like he should have his port pass on him close.

But he hasn’t had a valid one of those in years.

"I didn't know that I'd be flying so close to Nova-X."

"While that is a problem, it isn’t the main one,” tapping on the far right side of the screen, Jaejoong pulled up C.H.U.N.K’s schematics.

“Your ships camouflage is fully upgraded, so don’t worry about being seen. Send your thanks to Changmin when you get the chance."

Taemin fought the urge to whine.

Changmin, the tall grouchy genius that annoyed him to no end, was also the older brother he never asked for.

The man had entered their lives’ six years before. Appearing at the restaurants entrance drenched in rain, Changmin had somberly claimed to know his appa and had asked to see him. He knew something was up when he saw the struck look that had bloomed on his appa’s face once seeing the then stranger, it had been one of the few times he had seen the man cry. Which lead to a tearful confession to who Changmin really was. Changmin was five years older than Taemin, the son of an unknown but influential man that had refused to let his appa have custody of him when they had separated, which was the reason why Changmin had not been raised with both he and Taeyong; but explained little as to why Taemin didn’t remember him.

When he had found out, he had been livid for years. Fed up with his appa’s secrets, he had dived headfirst into the military and his future in the academy as a distraction.

But his accident had put a lot of things into perspective.

Ever since that day, Changmin made his appearance Talio’s side often. It wasn’t odd to Find Changmin lounging somewhere in the house or restaurant when he returned from his jobs. Changmin had mention that being on the backwater moon was a nice retreat from the stress of federation work. The lanky man surprisingly was the main source of their illegal items, and he also held some sort of high position in the federation, which was great for permissions and counterfeit port passes.

"Do I really have to call him?"

"Yes, because he's waiting for your call," Jaejoong said flatly, switching back to the map, "this is the problem I wanted to show you,” Jaejoong expanded the map to focus on the red planet nearest to Nova-x, the current feed displaying how the planets diameter was riddled with federation ships.

"It’s seems like on the way to Thea, you'll be passing close to Opia," Jaejoong said tapping repeatedly in the planet’s icon, a look Taemin never seen before flashed on his appa's face.

Rage? Maybe?

"I don't want you near that area,” Jaejoong explained tersely, “I was just listening in on the federation's frequency, the crown prince is currently on the planet and security has tripled for his travel."

Taking stock of all the ships in view on the screen, Taemin took in their silver and black visages and their massive sizes. The ships belonged to the imperial guard, and with his arrest record, getting stopped by them would be an automatic trip to P34 for a long time.

"Swear it to me that if they’re still around when you pass that area, that you’ll avoid them Taemin," Jaejoong grabbed onto his shoulder, turning Taemin to his direction.

Taemin stalled, unsure of why his appa needed his reassurance.

"Taemin?" Jaejoong pleaded, his arm quivering a bit when he gently shook Taemin’s shoulder.

To say that Taemin was not taken a back by his appa’s behavior would be a lie.

He guessed that this was more serious than he had thought.

"I swear," Taemin responded, feeling scolded for something he had no clue about, "but can I ask why?"

Although he traveled frequently, his assignments usually led him either to the nearby planets or out of the system completely; so much so, that he can admit to be a little lacking when it came to the main planets, the federation, and the imperial family all together. He had never made it far enough in the military for those things to be important.

So, his only knowledge about Opia was from old school textbooks. He knew that it was the scarlet planet, and second only to Nova-X. Then there was something about a planet destroying tyrant, that had enslaved people and was later usurped by his son who had closed off the planet for years...or something like that.

He really should’ve did better in history at school, but Minho was handsome and Taemin was easily distracted.

"Not much good ever comes out of that place-," Jaejoong sighed, looking at him strangely, “Its best to avoid it.”

Another secret then. Taemin should have known.

"Then, I'll work my way around the perimeter to the other side," Taemin explained, making sure that his hand clearly drew a path away from the red planet and inputted the new directions into C.H.U.N.K’s commands.

Whether or not he was actually going to follow that path, was up to his own discretion.

"Before you go Taemin, one last check," Jaejoong signaled to Taemin's eye, pulling a pen light from one of his many pockets.

Though his bionic had been back since the night before, it took a while for it to fully comeback online and give him more than a fuzzy view of the world.

Flashing the bright light over his eye, his appa must have found everything satisfactory when he quickly put the light away.

Not before grabbing onto his face and staring at him deeply

"Don't get yourself into trouble," Jaejoong grimaced to himself, "Who am I kidding? Taemin, for the love of all that is balanced and right in the universe, please don't get into too much trouble."

Taemin made to defend himself. It wasn’t as if he actively sought out trouble.

Jaejoong raised a hand, stopping him, "No speaking Taem, you know what you almost did last time you visited Varinae."

How was he supposed to know that insulting a foreign dignitary could potentially lead to civil war? And half the shit talking was done by Changmin, why wasn't he the one getting lectured?

"Come back home in one piece," Jaejoong softened his grip, "and make it in time for Yong’s graduation please, he really wants you to be there," Jaejoong added, bringing Taemin into his embrace.

"I will," Taemin nodded into his appa’s shoulder.

Stepping back, Jaejoong reached into his pocket then softly placed an unlabeled pill bottle onto the corner of the pilot panel, "Take the recommended amount, no more no less, no matter how bad you feel. These things are known to knock out fully grown bulls.”

"Thank you. No promises on the no trouble thing though," Taemin swiftly stuffed the bottle into one of his pockets before Taeyong returned.

His brother didn’t need to know how deep his issues went.

Speaking of Taeyong, his brother reappeared shortly after, with both his shirt and pants on as they were supposed to be.

His appa's eyes brightened at the arrival, "Oh Yongie my only well behave son!" Jaejoong hugged his youngest son to him, passing a hand through his hair, "console me, your brother’s leaving!"

Taeyong giggled as he preened in their appa's hold, and all Taemin could do was roll his eyes.

What a complete lie.

Taeyong was a hellion as a kid, the small scars that littered the younger’s body proved it. Hell, there were scars on his own body that proved it.

They should all be lucky that Taeyong grew up to be sweet.

"I need your help in the kitchen Yong," Jaejoong said letting go.

"Okay appa."

"Thank you," Jaejoong continued, pinching a cheek on Taeyong's cringing face, before dragging him away.

"Remember to be back for my graduation Taemin! Or I’ll hunt you down, you know I have my ways," Taeyong reminded, his eyes narrowing before waving at him and giving him a smile.

"I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

……….

Alone, Taemin took a deep breath as the rattling of the cabin door rattled his teeth as it latched shut.

Taking hold of his brand-new keyboard, Taemin typed the coordinates to Changmin’s communicator. It took a moment for the call to go through, since Changmin lived on the other side of the star system, ironically enough on Nova-x.

"I'm at work," Changmin answered with a bored expression.

"You don't say?" Taemin peered closer to the HOLO screen of his dashboard, "where are you at?"

When he normally called Changmin, he was usually in his lofty office somewhere in Nova-x. Today his brother was in some type of sterile lab setting, if he went buy the beakers on the shelf behind Changmin's head.

"Why are you calling Taemin?"Changmin asked, distracted by something behind his side of the HOLO screen.

"Where are you?" Taemin continued his examination, noting the dozens of medals on Changmin’s military jacket.

"Opia,"Changmin swiveled the HOLO screen on his watch quickly around the room he was in, "not that it's any of your business."

He was right when he assumed that Changmin was in a lab, the reddish hue from the labs window confirming the planet also.

"So, are you the reason why appa wants me to avoid that planet on my way to my job? Or is there really a prince there?"

Changmin brows crossed briefly, "No...i'm not the reason. Though you should heed appas words, we don't need interplanetary wars starting off just because you flew into the wrong airspace. We don't want a repeat of Varinae."

The audacity!

"Now Changmin, you know I’m not to blame for that! Your mean ass is!"

"I don't know of what you speak of," Changmin answered deadpan, "why are you calling again?"

Taemin battled the need to punch something.

Changmin was infuriating, all the time.

"I've been ordered to say thank you," Taemin paused, finding the words hard to say. Changmin was already a smug son of a bitch, this would only add onto it.

How were they siblings again?

"….so, thank you, for the camo work on C.H.U.N.K."

Changmin pursed his lips absorbing Taemin’s words, "your very welcome. You should be praising my light though; you know how hard it is to work on that rust bucket you call a ship?"

Without prompt, Taemin passed a consoling hand on the console in front of him, 'He didn't mean that baby girl.'

"Appa almost had a breakdown when he got a look at your repulsion engine, what the hell have you been flying through? We found a deer carcass in one of your propellers."

Taemin shrugged, "I might have lightly crashed into a forest on my way off of Perdias…."

Changmin’s judgment face turned on,"Taemin?"

"Yes."

"Take care of your shit better."

"I will," Taemin mumbled.

He did nothing to deserve the lectures he had been getting lately.

"Good. Anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Changmin asked, his focus more on the table in front of him now than the screen at his wrist.

Did he already mention how irritating Changmin was?

"Fuck you Changmin."

That should catch the older man’s attention.

"Fuck you too Taemin."

It didn’t.

"...listen," an emotion filled Changmin's face, which didn’t look right, "take care of yourself out there Taemin.”

He never knew how to handle Changmin's caring side. The older man used it so sparingly on him compared to Taeyong (who had baby brother rights) and their appa, that when directed at him, Taemin didn't know how to react.

“The federation is on high alert after the latest attempt on the youngest prince’s life, they would kill on site for the crown prince. And knowing how your karma works..."

Going by the last jab, Changmin was uncomfortable to.

"I...will," Taemin cringed, wanting the sentimental talk to end.

"Changmin are you busy?" A deep unknown voice sounded from beyond the screen.

Changmin's eyes blew wide instantly at the visitor.

Was Changmin...scared?

"F-father...Tae-I have to go," Changmin spat out quickly before cutting off the HOLO feed from his side.

Father?

‘Nope, don’t dwell on that Taem.’

Taemin stared at a blank screen for what felt like forever before realizing that he was wasting his time.

He should've been in the sky already.

Business time.

His masked employers weren't very forth coming with what they had wanted him to do in this job. But they had at least given him some vague directions. He was to go to Thea, a not so backwater anymore, new imperial federation colony planet on the other side of the star system. And on Thea, he was to retrieve a file.

Sweet and simple.

Then why did he feel so nervous?

Shakily reaching into his pocket, Taemin walked to his ship’s navigator. Switching on C.H.U.N.K's interface he plugged in the assigned coordinates for his trip. Waiting a beat, the estimate travel time appeared on the navigation screen.

588 hours.

Damn.

His trip could take about three weeks and a half using warp speed, or four months regular speed. Taemin sucked on his teeth. He usually preferred to conserve his augmented warp speed fuel cells for emergencies, but he had promised Taeyong that he would be at his graduation in two months.

He couldn’t let his brother down.

"Warp speed it is then," Taemin sighed to himself, as he reprogrammed the ships cruise control, and carefully timed the warp speed jumps.

There was a science to warp travel that many, including people at his previous fight academy, did not quite understand.

Most of his ex-colleagues at school and his professors preferred to waste all the warp speed fuel on one great and extremely wasteful leap forward during their flight. Never realizing that when they do so, they exhaust a great portion of their regular fuel cells as well, leaving them stranded halfway through their trips because of their carelessness.

With that done Taemin prepared himself for takeoff.

Strapping himself into the pilot seat, Taemin willed himself to calm.

He was shaking, his hands sweating on the steering wheel like they always did. All he could smell was burnt popcorn in the air, for when he had attempted to cook earlier, it made his stomach roll. But then the gentle rolling of C.H.U.N.K's driving wheels set his stomach ablaze.

He...couldn't do this.

Tearing himself out of the pilot seat, Taemin reached for the pill bottle his appa had given him. His hand trembled as he tore open the top of the pill bottle and swallowed one dry. The effect was instantaneous, numbing him enough to settle back in his pilot seat, turn on the start engine, and drive to the port’s main departure tarmac for takeoff with ease.

The flight off moon was easy. It was a little after noon, so the miner crowd was still planet side, which meant for little to no skytraffic.

The skies were clear, and space was even clearer.

Soon enough, Taemin had settled the ship enough to switch on the cruise control.

One hour down, and 587 to go.

.........

Space travel was boring.

Many planet dwellers had the incorrect notion that space travel was exciting, but it was the complete opposite.

It was cold, dark, and quiet.

But it also was beautiful.

Taemin could, and has, spent hours just gazing out the vast universe as it sped past his ship. Distant planets, stars, and colors he couldn't even describe, made him remember why he wanted to be a pilot to begin with.

Sure the medals were nice, but he just wanted to fly.

After verifying that his ship was on course and that his fuel cells weren't depleting to rapidly, Taemin went to do some chores around the ship, something he finished all too quickly which found him lounging on his cot with a generic teleHOLO drama he had been meaning to watch.

Not much goes on during his trips.

So, even if it was quiet and mundane, he loved being up here.

Most of the time.

Sometimes there were times like today, when Minho's ghost was too present to ignore.

It had been years, but the corner filled with Minho's belongings was still as neat and untouched as the last day the man had organized it.

Then the memories came.

He and Minho had known one another since childhood, Minho was the son of Talio's interim governor who came from Nova-X. They had met when he was seven at the port’s general docking bay after one of his appa’s jobs. Minho had confessed to him when they were fifteen, in the third booth to the left side of his family’s restaurant. They were both selected to the federation academy on serenity, during different years since Minho was older; him for piloting and Minho for navigation.

They were together for only five years.

It was supposed to be forever.

Curling himself further into his sheets, he stared at Minho's 'corner'; which was just old trinkets and leftover clothes he had neglected to return to Minho’s family. Next to that corner was a patch on the ships wall Minho had been fixing before the accident happened.

It never got completely fixed, Taemin didn't have the heart to do so.

He didn't have the heart to fix the countless other half-finished Minho projects throughout the ship either.

Minho hated C.H.U.N.K, to be honest everyone but Taemin did. Minho was always trying to convince him to upgrade to the latest model stealth ships; soulless, sleek, and way to quiet for Taemin to be comfortable piloting it.

C.H.U.N.K, for all her creaks and cracks, was built by his appa's hands. Even when she couldn't fly anymore, Taemin would never get rid of his ship.

Not that Minho would have understood, he just was raised differently. Wealthy, stable, and stubborn as a mule. But Minho was also kind and loved him, even with all his faults.

Taemin released a shaky breath, burying his head underneath his blanket.

There were times when the quiet became suffocating.

298 hours to go.

..........

Thea was a bit shitty.

Thea was a lot shitty actually.

The planet was full of infernal dust, making it hard for him to navigate his way down to the planet’s surface.

Like with most of his jobs Taemin had entered the planet using less than legal means, bypassing the main port and using his camouflage shield to touch down near his point of destination.

Not that he needed to do all that work, considering the ghost town he had arrived in.

Keeping the camo shield on, Taemin departed from the ship quickly.

The second he exited, he sneezed, as the dust particles began to cling to his person. Turning on his HOLO communicator, Taemin reminded himself of why he was on this damn dust bucket of a planet to begin with.

He'd been traveling for a while, so he forgot some details.

His two masked benefactors wanted him to retrieve some documents.

Documents?

"What is this shit!" He groaned to himself, tying a bandanna across his face to block off the excessive amount of dust in the air from getting into his lungs. Looking around, Taemin noted the desolate deteriorating town nestled before a concrete behemoth of a building, and oddly enough there was another shipped docked near one of the closer houses that looked to be in pretty fair condition.

Really strange.

Looking at his communicator again, he re-read his task. He was to enter the concrete monstrosity, find an office, and retrieve documents.

What said documents were about, he did not ask. Nor would he ask, his life was important to him. So, if they wanted papers from some deserted ass planet (something they could've really done themselves from the looks of it) then so be it.

"Whatever, easy money then," Taemin stated, scrubbing the excess dirt away from the many groves and creases on his body it had accumulated in.

He was but a lowly freelancer after all.

His confident stride to the concrete behemoth stuttered more and more with each step towards the building.

At just inches from the buildings glass entrance, Taemin felt something off about it, but what it was he didn't quite know.

'Let's get this over with,' Taemin reassured himself, slipping through the front doors.

Once inside, he was startled by the old rebellion insignia dominating the foyer.

Which meant that the building was something important once? Maybe?

He really should've paid attention to his history lessons. He didn't remember when or what the rebellion was really about, he just knew that it was bad.

Why was he sent here?

Walking to what looked like a reception desk, Taemin eyed the thick layer of dust that coated deteriorating cherry red wood, encased a beige wired telephone, and layered an array of scattered papers. Picking the phone up from its holder, Taemin examined it. It was ancient, something he’d only ever seen at museums; it held no visual capabilities of any type but when he placed it close to his ear it still had a dial tone.

“How?” Taemin supposed, jerking the phone away from his ear, and hastily put it back in his holder, “weird.”

Goose bumps straggled his spine as he trailed away from the desk.

He should get going.

Taking a moment to marvel at the high ceilings of the large foyer, and how the light from outside tapered off into a single darkened hallway to the right, Taemin switched on the HOLO communicator on his wrist. Weirdly enough it took his HOLO a few minutes to boot up.

His HOLO that usually worked in even the most remote places.

Once the screen finally decided to pop up, it scanned the area above him.

He was told that the much important documents were held in an office on one of the top floors, he just needed to find the way up. Looking towards the ceiling, Taemin activated the x-ray feature in his eye with only a thought. From what he could see from nine floors up, there seemed to be no one in the building either, which was a good thing.

He should run into no problems.

Stepping into the side hallway, Taemin once again felt chills. The hall was dark, with only red emergency lights lighting his way to a series of elevators.

Taemin hesitated.

Something was definitely off with the building. He didn’t know if it was a bad or good thing, but he had a job to do.

Walking no jogging to the elevators, Taemin would admit to nobody about how fast his heart was beating as he horridly pressed the call button for the lifts. He really hoped they worked, as the way up to where he needed to be was about ten floors and he didn’t want to climb that.

“Come on!” Taemin pressed some more, startled by the resounding ping that filled the hallway before the doors of the far-left elevator opened. Without much thought, he sprinted inside and pressed ten.

Hard-pressed against the back wall of the cabin, Taemin searched for his breath.

“Get the documents and leave. Get the documents and leave,” Taemin repeated to himself, trying not to regret taking the job.

It wasn’t working.

The higher he went the more edgy he got.

When he finally reached the tenth floor, Taemin was fully intent on racing toward his destination but was stopped by the look of the waiting room before him.

For how strange the whole building looked and felt, the waiting room was so...mundane; with a small reception desk at his right when he stepped out from the elevator, to the broken leather couch on his left. When he arrived to the double doors at the end on the opposite side of the room, Taemin passed a hand over soft leather before being staggered by the black plaque above the door announcing it to be the director’s office.

Shudders shot up his spine again.

But before he could rightfully obey the sensation and abandon the building and job altogether, Taemin entered the office.

And what an office it was.

Even with the barren shit that was Thea’s landscape as its backdrop, the office was immaculate. It smelled of fresh pine and…iron; with a large library on the left wall, complete with a fireplace containing a mantle full of fancy liquor, and several drawers to the right near a table flooded with knickknacks and curiosities that sat under a very big portrait of a balding middle-aged man.

“The Director?” Taemin read the bottom of the portrait carefully. Bizarre, the director of whatever this was wasn’t named.

And in the center of the room was an imposing wooden desk, with an older looking computer and three neat stacks of paper.

Checking his HOLO once more, Taemin read over the instructions of where the files would be and how they would look like; a big void marking should be present in red ink on the front cover.

Moving over to the drawers, Taemin opened each one. The files where in none of the five drawers he searched through, and as a true testament to his rotten luck the last drawer on the bottom was locked shut.

“Damn it!” Taemin stopped short of kicking the damn thing.

This setback was the last thing he needed.

He had wanted to enter and leave the building fast, but it was proving impossible now.

Concentrating, Taemin focused his ‘eye’ through the contents of the room in search of the drawer keys or any keys.

His search ended abruptly at the discovery of a corpse hidden behind the desk.

A corpse who held the key to the drawer in his back pocket.

“Fuck. Me.”

If his voice wavered, Taemin would admit it to no one.

This wasn’t the first dead body he had seen; he was a veteran and served in some gruesome situations in his short time in the military.

The sight before him was just very unexpected and extremely unwanted.

Walking behind the desk, Taemin observed the body.

It was the director; the balding head was identical to the portrait only now there was the addition of a bullet whole on the back of it. Speaking of bullets, the weapon that had been used in the suicide was still cradled loosely in the man’s limp right hand.

“Rest in peace,” Taemin stated lowly in reverence.

There was no one in the building, dying in the office was a very lonely way to go.

Breathing, Taemin bent down to the man’s pocket at took out the key he needed, though on the way up something moved at the corner of his eye.

It was the gun?

The blood-stained pistol was vibrating.

Vibrating violently.

Against his better judgement, which seemed nonexistent ever since he had walked into the building, Taemin reached out for the gun.

A big mistake on his part.

The moment his hand touched the pistol’s handle, Taemin’s hand was glued onto it like a magnet. No matter how much tried to free his grip, even when the gun began to shake uncontrollably, its weight getting heavier and heavier in his hand. The gun was getting so weighty that it would have knocked him down atop of the director’s body if he hadn’t scrambled away from it.

Not that it helped much.

The moment he stepped away from the body Taemin crashed down to the floor. His head bumping hard on the ground, which knocked his eye offline for a millisecond, before the gun decided that it wasn’t done with him.

By some force Taemin couldn’t explain, the gun yanked itself (and him) up off the ground and sent itself (and him) flying into the elaborate bookshelf he had been admiring earlier. Taemin couldn’t even comprehend the pain of the heavy books that fell on his head before he was dragged on top of the table near the drawers. Here is where the possessed weapon decided to switch things up on him, and instead of pulling away the gun was directing itself to the skin under his chin.

“What the-no!” Taemin croaked.

As if he weren’t panicking before, it increased tenfold when the now scorching pistol dug into his skin, burning to the touch.

He was suddenly stuck with how wrong he had been earlier; the director hadn’t killed himself the demon gun in his hand must have been the perpetrator.

And he was the next victim.

Doubling his efforts Taemin brought his left hand to the fray, straining to pull the gun away but failing when the touch got too hot.

He was going to die.

A whimper clogged his throat, as tears blurred his vision. He was going to expire in some dumb abandoned building in the middle of a who-gives-a-fuck colony, where his body was most likely going to be found hundreds of years in the future with a damn Old Earth replica of the Eiffel tower melded to the ribs of his desiccated body.

Faced with his fate, regrets began to flood Taemin’s mind.

He would never become more than some nameless freelancer. He would never get to relieve his appa of his worries. He would never get the chance to tell Changmin how much he actually loved and cherished him, there was so much time they had to make up for. He would never make it to Taeyong’s graduation and watch him grow into the amazing man he was destined to become. He would never get to make it up to Minho’s family for their son’s death; although Minho’s parents had never blamed him for it, he blamed himself. He would never get the chance to chase down his other parent on Opia (a realization he had days after his call with Changmin’s, and the main reason, he knew now, that his appa wanted him to avoid the planet) and tell them man to fuck himself.

But as the gun charred the skin under his jaw, Taemin’s regrets were overcome by relief, he would be seeing Minho once more.

Closing his eyes Taemin waited with bated breath for the inevitable to happen.

After a beat, then another two, the inevitable was taking it sweet time to come.

And like a switch, the gun went from fiery hot to colder than ice and lighter than a feather.

Feeling his control return, Taemin flung the gun as far as he could away from him.

While he was happy to be alive, his sudden acceptance of his once thought inevitable death left him shaken.

Taemin’s arms wobbled as he sat up, wiping his moistened cheeks with the fabric at his shoulders.

Time to move along.

Compartmentalization, he was good at that.

Hopping off the table, his trembling legs almost folded in as he made to the drawers once more. Quickly pulling out the cursed key, he had almost died for, Taemin opened the last drawer.

“Found you!” Taemin pulled out the voided file and tucked it under his arm.

It was time to leave.

Well, that was his intention before he reentered the waiting room.

Nothing was the same.

Instead of the waiting room he had entered through, walking deeper into the room Taemin noticed that he was in some sort of maintenance room (if he were to go by the large maintenance sign above his head) with large grey and multicolored pipes, wheels, levers, tools, and foggy air.

Anchor“Hey! What are you doing here?”

Hard metal was then pressed to the back of his head. Taemin stilled, this was not his first time held at gunpoint. But after his near-death experience in the director’s office, Taemin felt his heart drop.

“Wait! I can explain!” Taemin quickly called out.

His mysterious employers had given him something to show in case something like this happened. A red and black badge with an unknown gaudy symbol on it.

“Oh yeah?” The man said, pushing the gun harder at the back of his head, “Explain.”

“M-my explanation is in my front pocket,” Taemin hated that he failed to keep the wariness from his voice.

Looking down briefly, he caught the dark materialled gloves of some type of guard’s uniform.

Digging the badge out of Taemin’s front pocket, and after a moment of examining it, the guard huffed, “this is ridiculous.”

Keeping the badge, the guard turned his attention back to Taemin, grabbing harshly at his upper arm, “Your coming with me.”

Knuckling the call button to the elevator Taemin had just exited from, the gruff guard pulled him close. Taemin instinctively turned his face away. Even with the black mask covering his face, the guard’s breath was most unpleasant.

“I’ll be taking this,” A rough hand snatched the gun that had appeared at his back pocket, before pushing Taemin in front of the elevator doors.

Taemin’s lung’s clenched, he had no idea how the gun had ended up on his person, he had avoided it ever since throwing it on the floor.

Once the elevator doors opened, there was another man dressed like the first guard already in it.

What was this place?

“Get in.”

It wasn’t like he had another option.

Stepping into the lift, Taemin was left squished between the two guards, hoping not to meet an unfortunate fate.

The time spent going to their destination felt like forever before the elevator doors opened to an empty corridor.

“Move.”

After rudely being pressed forward, Taemin was directed down a large corridor and into a large room dominated by cages. Cages full of all the illegal goods one could imagine.

He was in a damn trafficker’s den. And a pretty big one at that, when he saw the large glass cages meant to store living goods.

His eyes locked with a ‘living good’, as he walked past the biggest glass cage in the room.

Taemin felt the air punch out of him.

The man looked to be around his age with long chocolate hair which covered what would have been a handsome face if it weren’t for the knifelike slashes on it. The man was in a horrible state, but there was a steely determination in his eyes.

Taemin’s throat was suddenly dry.

“Sungmin look at what we found!”

..........

“Eat up princess!” a loud bang crashed severely against the glass beside Jongin’s head, waking him up with a start.

Biting his lip, he fought against a groan at the stinging on his face as he glanced at the smiling face of his captor.

The bastard waved at him.

“Good afternoon princess, hurry up and eat your food while it’s somewhat fresh,” Sungmin stated, before dropping the food carelessly past the cages door slot and onto the floor.

“Eat well,” Sungmin smiled cruelly down at him, signaling to one of his men in the room, he flicked a finger over to Jongin, “If he doesn’t eat that, he gets no dinner.”

Sungmin then proceeded to his desk in front of Jongin’s cage, his eyes still intent on Jongin.

Jongin looked away, his breath difficult to gain.

He had been held in his cage for a few weeks now. It took them all but three days to notice his accelerated healing factor, and a day after they decided to keep him injured and docile; which resulted in several stab wounds at his ribs to keep him semi-immobile and a fracture in his shin’s to keep him down; this procedure repeated itself every other day when his healing became to apparent.

The new slashes to his face, were just a passing fancy for Sungmin, who loved to see his own handy work.

Aside from the obvious physical abuse, came the psychological. They fed him very little, mostly expire scraps a food meant more for a trash bin than consumption. His increased hunger kept his mind hazy; he hadn’t had a clear thought in days. And any and all questions he had for why he was being held where ignored completely.

It was humiliating.

With each hitch breath he took, the more remorse he felt of telling no one of his whereabouts. Mr. Wu and Kyungsoo counted little in the matter, since he was under no obligation to tell Wu where exactly he was going to do, and Kyungsoo had no clue that he had left for the new colony so soon.

He told absolutely no one else, and he had noticed this error in judgment too late.

Now he was stuck in a trafficker’s den, hurt and under some unknown influence that drained him of his abilities with no way out.

To make things worse, the emblems that dominated Sungmin’s desk were all from the old rebellion which were repurposed to signify the biggest trafficking den in the star system. An ever-increasing problem for the federation and apparently now for the imperial family.

Sungmin knew who he was, his unaffectionate nickname told Jongin this. Who ever he was to be ‘handed off’ to, had obvious interest in taking down his family.

Jongin felt so foolish, he had been told time and time again by his father that his single mindedness would get him in trouble, that it was not an attribute of a future leader and that he would need to fix it.

He had been so focused on finding some sort of clue on the epidemic plaguing his home planet that he forgot to watch for danger.

Sighing quietly, Jongin kept his frustration silent and he dragged himself slowly to his spoiled food. He hadn’t eaten in four days and his hunger pains were now enough for him to lose his pride an debase himself in the face of his captors.

Sungmin knew this, his face full of amusement as he trailed Jongin’s trek across the cage.

He didn’t get far before the thuds of boots sounded in the room.

Jongin locked eyes with the new faced man in the front. He didn’t quite fit in with the gruff men of the rebellion traffickers; though his appearance was a bit rough, with ripped clothes, a scar like slash in one of his brows, and short silver-ish hair; the man’s delicate features and slight frame said otherwise.

When their gaze met, Jongin’s chest filled with a hope that had been slowly abandoning him during the past days.

“Sungmin look at what we found!”

“Who is he?” Sungmin’s smile dropped, as he looked suspiciously at the new arrival, moving in front of the three men.

“We found him squirreling around in the upper building, he showed me this,” The first guard handed Sungmin a small item that brought a frown to the head trafficker’s face.

“I see then,” Sungmin nodded lethargically, playing with the object in his hands, “It’s not often that ‘they’ outsource a job, what’s your name kid?’

“Francesco,” The newcomer mentioned tensely, the flicker in his eyes telling Jongin that he was lying.

Sungmin saw it also.

“That’s not your real name.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting out of me.”

“Feisty,” Sungmin’s eyes twinkled with interest, before quickly stomping out, “Did you get what you needed?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Let me see?” Sungmin crowded Francesco, pulling a folder from the man’s arms and flipping through it, “Whoa this is some serious shit,” Sungmin hummed impressed by what he had seen.

“You know, I could sell this myself and make a pretty good profit,” Sungmin smiled unkindly at an unflinching Francesco, “But I owe a debt to your employers, you can have this back,” Sungmin pushed the folder into Francesco’s chest.

Jongin’s hazy mind grew concerned, what exactly did those files hold?

“Leave Francesco,” Sungmin returned to his desk, “I see you here again, I might not be as welcoming as I have been.”

Watching as Francesco’s slight frame retreat from the room, Jongin felt foolish for the hope he felt earlier.

..........

They said the he could go, and he was going to leave. He was going to get on C.H.U.N.K and hopefully never return to the sand hellscape that was Thea.

‘Just keep walking Taem, it’s not your problem,’ Taemin told himself, while following the exit signs in the corridor he had used earlier.

“But…” Taemin threw a hesitant look to where he had come from.

Leaving didn’t feel right.

Was he really the type of person to leave an injured man in hands of traffickers?

His own experiences with traffickers was few and far between, but never had he seen them with living cargo, how could they do that? And who would he be if he didn’t at least try to stop them?

Yeah, he sometimes stole, lied, and cheated for a living; but he had morals.

“Damn it!” Taemin’s words rang loud in the lonely hallway, kicking at the wall in frustration. He was surely to get killed or worse locked up himself if he went back.

But his mind was already made up.

He had to go back.

Another second found Taemin retracing his steps back to the cages room.

During this day alone he had survived multiple near-death experiences, so what was one more?

He was feeling brave.

He felt his back-pocket shake.

“What the fu-?”

Reaching for his back pocket, Taemin was astounded to feel the outline of a gun in his pocket.

Had the guard put it back in there?

Tucking the files into the front of his pants, Taemin reached into his pocket, touching the handle of the gun.

When will he ever learn from his past mistakes?

The moment his hands fused once more with the pistol, Taemin could feel its vibrations intensify with intent as it pulled him back into the cage room.

“What are you doing back here-!” The guard that had found him first called out and was subsequently the first to receive a blast through the chest.

‘What the hell!’ Taemin stared at the gun in shock, the pistols kickback was virtually none existant, so unexpected was the hole it left in the guards now gushing chest.

Before he could dwell on it what had transpired, the gun repositioned itself and swirled onto the next target, the silent guard from the elevator, who had been behind him with his phaser ready. In rapid secession the gun fired off three rounds, debilitating the guard instantaneously.

By the time Sungmin realized what was happening, he was to slow and received a shot through the leg and jugular. Everyone else that appeared afterward received similar treatment.

What type of technology was the gun? The level of precognition and prediction programmed into was on a level he had never seen? It was like the weapon had a mind of its own, because aside from wielding it, at no time had Taemin pressed its trigger.

Dropping the cursed gun, Taemin stood in shock at the destruction the weapon has wrought. Everyone but he and the prisoner were likely dead, the shots were too brutally eviscerating to think that anyone could survive them. Taemin could feel the prisoners hesitant gaze on him before he called out weakly.

“Get me out.”

“Okay,” Taemin was jolted into action.

Opening the cage door was easy, it only had a simple latch on the outside. But stepping into the cage was made difficult, there was a pressure inside of it that made his steps slow and sluggish, Taemin fought against the nerves racking up in his guts, they needed to leave before anyone else arrived. Quickly stepped over the mess of food on the ground, Taemin slid himself underneath the imprisoned man to pick him up.

“Thank you, thank you…for not leaving me,” The man murmured shakily into his neck.

“…. thank me when we get out of here,” Taemin answered looking for the way out of the maze-like building. He kept his grip as secure as he could on the injured man’s ribs without hurting him.

If on the outside he was focused, on the inside Taemin was in complete panic mode.

This might have been one of the worst informed decisions he had ever done, the retaliation from his employers alone once they hear of what happened to their apparent ally was not something he wanted to think about.

But ill-informed or not, in his heart he knew he made the right choice with returning.

Who knew what would have been the man’s fate if he hadn’t decided to return?

Looking to his shoulder, Taemin noticed the lolling of the man’s head. The man was losing consciousness, a bad thing cause Taemin didn’t know if he was strong enough to carry the man’s full weight without some help. It was already bad enough that the bigger and much muscular man was curled onto him as if he was the opposite.

“Come on, stay awake…ah? w-what’s your name?” Taemin urged shaking his shoulder, struggling with the man’s weight on his side as he got heavier.

Although he was sure the he had shot everyone in the cage room, he wasn’t sure who else was around, so he moved as fast as he could down one empty corridor to the next.

“Uhmm?” the man mumbled after a time, unhelpful as ever as Taemin tried to slide them down many flights of stairs, hoping that the exit sign he saw repeated on every flight was the truth.

“Your name?” Taemin asked after a second of catching his breath, his lungs were burning, and the weight of the man’s head was uncomfortable on his sweaty neck.

They needed to hurry; it might be his paranoia speaking but he was beginning to hear dull thuds from many floors above.

They were being chased.

“Name now!” Taemin shook the man a little harsher than he had meant to, but it awarded him with the answer he had been looking for.

“Jong-,” the man whispered to him, “Where…where are we going?”

“Well Jong, where hopefully getting out of here.”

He received no answer but did fell the weight at his side lesson as Jong grew more alert.

The balance of keeping Jong awake and moving down the stairs was a fine one, and soon enough they arrived at what was labeled the ground floor, Taemin was relieved to see the dirt hell of Thea’s terrane past the door found there.

“Finally.”

Pressing passed the door, he had never been happier to see C.H.U.N.K’s rusted up façade than he had been when he finally exited the building.

Dragging Jong’s body closer, Taemin pressed his ships unlock button on his communicator and hauled them up into the ship quickly.

He had no idea who was behind him and he didn’t want to know.

Once inside, he maneuvered Jong down onto his cot as carefully as he could as to not agitate the man’s many wounds, Jong immediately nestled into the pile of pillows found there releasing a content sigh.

That was cute.

The sound of clamoring outside reminded Taemin of what was happening.

“Focus,” Taemin groaned, reminding himself of the present danger they were still in and booked it straight to his pilot’s chair.

They had to leave the planet fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
Thoughts and comments are needed and very appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

……….

Jongin wasn’t exactly sure how he got to this point, the trip from his cage to wherever he was now was too fast for his foggy mind to grasp. One moment he was crawling to his food and the next he was being lowered into a bed full of soft sheets.

Digging his face into the pillow under him, the smell of clean linen and rosewood reminded him of the woods that surrounded the home he grew up in.

Inhaling deeper he closed his eyes.

"C.H.U.N.K! Camo up now!"

The violent clash of mechanical parts jarred Jongin back into a semi wakeful state.

‘What was that?’

He refrained from moving his aching body, choosing instead to peer over to the commotion and instantly catching sight of his rescuer.

Francesco?

Jongin winced in sympathy as Francesco tripped, landing harshly on his knees, before staring at the floor in shock.

At what exactly, Jongin couldn't see, since the sheets were blocking his view.

"What the fuck!" Francesco jumped to his feet, clambering for a nearby crate, upending the food cans from within it before dropping it over the spot on the floor he had been gaping at.

Before Jongin could raise his head and satiate his curiosity, the ship was rocked forcefully by a loud bang coming from outside.

"God damn it! She was just repainted," Francesco whined, looking more frazzled by the second, with his fringe sweat matted to his forehead and an odd glint in one of his eyes, as if recalling something.

"Jong!" Francesco slid over to his side, carefully placing his hand on the edge of the cot.

"Hey you, they seem to want you really bad. But I'm going to get is out of here okay-" Francesco's attention was stolen by the sharp zapping of phasers that could now be heard in various parts throughout the ship.

"Let's just hope it's not in pieces." Francesco smiled morbidly.

"C.H.U.N.K!" Now listen, I need you to work with me here!" Francesco briefly called to the ceiling before crouching over Jongin, "before anything else, let's get you more comfortable Jong, " he said before gently rolling Jongin onto his back, a loud beep overhead followed his words.

"Could you take any longer to answer C.H.U.N.K?" Francesco frowned, tucking in the blankets loosely around Jongin,"I need you to activate all four thrusters, initiate take off in the next ten seconds, and cruise off planet as fast as you can until I'm able to pilot you."

Silence.

"C.H.U.N.K?" Stopping his movement, Francesco gazed up incredulously at the ceiling, "This is for now C.H.U.N.K!! Right now!!"

Two beeps echoed through the ship as a rumble began from underneath the floorboards.

"Where are we going?' Jongin thought dizzily.

He had to get back home immediately. He had to inform his father and the imperial guard about his kidnapping and then find the person behind it.

He had little time to waste.

He also had no idea of what Francesco's true intentions were, or if he could really trust him.

What if this was all just an elaborate ruse by the traffickers to mess with his mind?

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Jongin knew that there were things he was supposed to be saying and actions he was supposed to be stopping, but his tongue felt like cement and his eyes were struggling to stay open.

"Alright Jong, I'm going to strap you in," Francesco reached over him and pulled out two straps from a compartment on a side panel.

Jongin jerked back involuntarily at the sight of the restraints.

No, not this again!

It took a second, but soon enough understanding dawned on Francesco's frenzied features.

"Shit sorry to ask you this considering what you've been through Jong, but I'm going to need a little blind trust. This ride might be a rough one and with the injuries you have, it might be rougher. So, I need to tie you down for the time being. I promise to release you once it’s safe," Francesco paused peering down at Jongin anxiously waiting for an answer.

With only one look at the straps, Jongin's heart felt like it could break through his chest as everything within him wanted to yell, scream, plead for the other to not bind him. But nothing more than a small nod of consent came as his response.

It took most of his energy to turn his head away from Francesco, as tears gathered in his eyes but refused to fall.

He hated how weak he felt, what he hated even more was that a stranger was witnessing said weakness.

He couldn't afford to be weak, too many people equally depended on him and wanted to see his downfall.

"Ok," Francesco sighed in relief, strapping Jongin to the bed securely but not tightly, ensuring that there was a finger's width of space between the three belts and Jongin's body.

During the process, Jongin had begun to drift off again, but was brought back by a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Jon-"

Francesco was once more cut off by a loud blast bellowing from the bottom of the ship.

"Damn it C.H.U.N.K, how are we not in space yet?!" Francesco shouted, racing towards the pilot's seat.

Jogin's vision crossed as has he drifted off once more, too exhausted to react to the peril they were most likely in.

His body rocked to the side as another hit was dealt to the ship, allowing for some colorful words to spill from Francesco's mouth.

As his lids fell shut, Jongin came to a resolve.

He was going to have to grant Francesco some blind faith, and whether the pilot had good intentions or not, everything would have to wait until later.

………

He didn't like space.

It was empty, cold; and sure, the stars and lights were beautiful but the sheer endlessness of it made him queasy. Jongin much preferred his feet on the ground, be it on his home planet or any of the other main planets in the system.

Those planets he knew well.

Growing up, his father had made it priority to show him and his brothers every inch of the star system they reigned over.

Excluding some of the border planets, which unfortunately where largely overlooked; he could point out and name each of Perdia's salt rings and where to catch the best view of them, due to his need to impress Kyungsoo on their first date. He could count on both hands the amount of times when he was younger that Jaehyun had snuck into his room at night, scared of the ominous red sky's that signaled Opia's biannual appearance over Nova-x. He would never admit aloud but the stardust remnants of Opia's twin planet Cas, made him hold Jaehyun tighter on those nights. He learned to avoid the abandoned shipyard near Lynnus, the jungle planet, after his older brother Mingyu had threatened to abandon him there thus beginning their fractured relationship. He remembered when his father took him to see the ever-growing prison installation P34, with its mechanical rings, tucked into an isolated corner of the system, forgotten.

That was home, and right now, Jongin could see none of those.

‘So, where are we?’ Jongin asked himself, for the hundredth time while finishing his can of beans.

Between when he had passed out on Thea and now, they had somehow advanced to the middle of nowhere.

A sharp clash of metal on metal forced Jongin back to his present predicament.

Although Francesco’s piloting skills proved to be rather impressive, managing to evade countless experienced traffickers, the ordeal hadn’t left the ship unscathed.

Mapping the way to where Francesco was, Jongin bypassed the tattered remains of the ship’s navigator, its screen boasting multiple phaser holes, and sidestepped the metal shards that once belonged to the ships pilot’s dashboard.

They were lucky that the ship's engines and internal atmosphere were spared, because dying in space with a stranger was the last thing he wanted.

Entering the pilot's cabin, Jongin observed as Francesco tapped furiously on his overhead dashboard. From his position, he could see the sweat beads that rolled down the back of Francesco's neck as they disappeared into the fabric of his undershirt, reminding Jongin to wipe at his own humid forehead.

The ship's cooling system was one of the many things left damaged, now it only cooled certain parts of the ship.

The cabin wasn't one of them.

"Piece of shit!!" Francesco banged his hand against the malfunctioning dashboard in frustration, still oblivious to Jongin's presence.

Francesco's curse was proceeded by a distinctive beep throughout the ship, before the lights in the main cabin dimmed.

"Come one! Don’t be like that C.H.U.N.K,”Francesco threw his hands up in defeat, quickly pressing them to his eyes, “I would never talk to you like that. But understand that a part of you is acting shitty."

That seemed to satisfy the ship, because the lights in the cabin brightened once more.

Lifting from his seat, Francesco fiddled with the unusable emergency radio.

Both the power cord and tuning control were missing, Francesco was lying to himself if he thought it'll work.

But honestly, Jongin understood the delusion. He would pound at the damn dashboard himself if it guaranteed him some type of way out of their situation.

Sighing, he slumped heavily upon his crutches.

They could be in their predicament for a while. To make matters worse, his body wasn’t healing itself like normal. The harsh scars on his face had scabbed over, but they still stung to the touch, and he couldn’t walk very well without the help of the makeshift crutches Francesco had made for him.

Having heard him, Francesco immediately turned to him as he entered the space then quickly looked away.

“Hello Jong, did you eat?”

“Yes, I have Francesco,” Jongin answered curtly.

To say that there wasn't tension between them would be a lie.

He has never been so thankful yet so angry at another living being in his entire life.

He had woken up the day before thinking that they had arrived safely on Nova-x.

But of course, that wasn’t the case.

Nothing in his life was simple.

So, for the last day he had been avoiding Francesco and festering in the new reality of his. During this time, he had thought up many possible rescue scenarios, but none of them stuck.

As much as he would like to think that his imperial guards would be able to find him at the edge of the universe if need be, he had been extremely cautious in how he left for Thea, and bypassed all the formal security checks he usually did when heading off planet. Also, neither his father nor his brothers knew of his possible whereabouts. Whereas Mingyu wouldn't care, he worried about a Jaehyun. The younger was technically his successor for the time being and would inherit the throne should anything happened to him.

Hopefully nothing does.

Jongin usually didn’t like to linger on what ifs, but the consequences of not getting home were dawning on him. His whole reason for leaving Nova-x to begin with was to follow Kyungsoo’s lead on the plague, and he wasn’t able to do that.

He couldn't be stuck here while the plague was still advancing. Baekhyun’s resources were finite and steadily decreasing and his father was too preoccupied with politics to care, no one in his council were taking the illness seriously.

He needed to get home.

“Taemin,” Francesco watched as Jongin sat down in the co-pilots chair, his eyes pinching at the action.

To be frank, Francesco looked about as miserable as he felt himself. Only a few minutes had passed since he arrived, and Francesco had grown twice as sweat drenched as his shirt was now half plastered onto him with large grease staines.

Jongin scrunched his face up in mild disgust, the other man needed a shower.

Though Francesco's skin currently held a nice glow to it. Jongin couldn’t help it, but in the back of his mind he noticed that in any other scenario Francesco would have looked…sexy? But he was not in the mental or even close to the emotional state to dwell on that, he still dreamt about Kyungsoo on most nights, even the nameless people he had bedded after the breakup hadn't managed to erase the man from his mind.

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

“My name is Kim Taemin, not Francesco,” Taemin took a messy swig from his water bottle, some droplets evaded his mouth to run down his collarbones and dissolve into his shirt, “and I’m assuming your name isn’t exactly Jong either, you were quite out of it when you told me it.”

Redirecting his gaze from Franesco-no Taemin’s shirt collar and back to his face, Jongin was at a loss for words.

Wait?

Was this a joke?

“My name is Kim Jongin,” Jongin stated slowly, waiting a moment for the acknowledgment to pan over Taemin’s face but it never did.

“Jongin? Ok,” Taemin nodded.

This was unusual, did Taemin not know that he was the crown prince? Or was he playing it cool?

Either way, Jongin could go along with it.

“Do you need something Jongin?” Taemin fidgeted with the top of his bottle, looking uncomfortable with his lack of response.

Clearing his throat, Jongin searched for his words. He knew that what he wanted to ask next would make Taemin a little bit testy. He had attempted the same conversation the day before, but it ended abruptly in shouts, accusations, thrown appliances, and an intervention by the ship itself. Since then, they had drifted and remained in their own corners of the ship until now.

On a side note, he had access to the latest in war ship tech, but he has never been inside a ship as intuitive as this.

It was frightening to be honest.

“Taemin, could you explain what happened again to me?” Jongin asked calmly, tensing as Taemin drew his arms around himself, “Please, I was asleep for most of it, and I’m just trying to understand how we got here.”

“I did a warp jump and now we’re here,” Taemin waved at the cabin windows out to a bright yellow borealis he had never seen in his home system.

“In detail,” Jongin pressed, before pausing and recalling that he wasn't talking to a subordinate,"...please."

Taemin's inhale was loud in the quiet room, as he placed his water bottle on the broken console between them, “after you drifted off, C.H.U.N.K, my ship, had just exited Thea's atmosphere. This ship isn't the fastest after takeoff and the people that were after you were gaining on me fast-"

"How many were there? Did you manage to see any emblems on their ships?"Jongin asked quickly as the wheels began to turn in his head.

If he had a possible group affiliation, he could find whoever had 'bought' him.

"No," Taemin answered swiftly, "once-"

"So, you let them get away without any way of identifying them in the future?" Jongin accused, standing up from his seat to pace.

How irresponsible could this man be?

“Excuse me?" Taemin's brows creased in confusion.

"If you had identified the traffickers, you could have notified the nearest federation outpost and we wouldn't be in this mess."

The federation had been dealing with the traffickers for years, jailing a few more would be one more step in weakening the black-market foothold that dominated the border planets.

"Now I see, you're one of 'those' people," Taemin scoffed.

What did he mean by this? Of course he was in favor of the federation.

"Not that I have anything against the federation as a whole, I understand their usefulness...," Taemin's tone sounded mocking, a prickle of heat bloomed in Jongin's chest. He quickly pushed it away, losing his temper simply wouldn't do.

"...But," Taemin continued, "unless you’re in the atmosphere of a main planet or a colony, the federation would do shit all to help you. They like to blame it on the lack of resources, but in reality, they don't care."

This couldn't be true.

Yes, the federation was far from perfect, but he knew for a fact that they would do the utmost to help any exodus citizen.

“That doesn’t-”

“Second,” Taemin cut in with fire in his eyes, stalking his way towards Jongin to dig a finger into the prince’s chest, "…its laughable that you expected me to ask for identification and registration after those assholes hauled and broke into my ship’s airlock," Taemin pointed to the torn wire work hanging near the main docking bay, then pointed to his half melted half phaser destroyed navigation station.

"Should I have asked them to stay for dinner, as they destroyed my shit and almost made away with you. Or should I have left that for after they shot me to death?" Taemin jabbed at him.

Okay, this conversation was heading south fast.

“That isn’t what I meant,” Jongin swiped Taemin’s hand away.

“It’s exactly what you meant. You’re lucky that damn gun likes to save you,” Taemin mumbled with no less ire than before, grabbing onto Jongin’s arm and pulling him back to the pilots station, “could you sit back down, you shouldn’t be on your feet for too long.”

He wasn't weak.

Jongin clenched his hands over the cheap metal handles of his crutches, before allowing himself to be pushed back into the co-pilots chair, “Could you explain what happened after all that?”Jongin asked as he sunk back into the chair, attempting to hide the relief in his voice.

Turns out that he really did need to sit down, the muscle of his right knee was already relaxing in reprieve.

Taemin placed a water bottle next to him, seemingly thinking over his answer as he flopped back down in his own seat.

“After managing to get the traffickers off the ship, I could barely shake them off my tail once I gain full control of C.H.U.N.K. so I took some drastic measures," Taemin's gaze evaded Jongin's to stare at the water bottle between them.

"And what would they be?" Jongin asked.

"I depleted all of our fuel cells performing a blind warp jump, which succeeded in helping us escape your ex captors but left us with two dilemmas. One, we’re currently using the ships auxiliary fuel which will run out in a week or so, and two, we’re here.”

“And where is here?” Jongin hesitated, knowing the dreaded answer already.

“I don’t know,”Taemin's voice faltered.

“Home?” Jongin’s own voice also sounded weak to his own ears.

"I don’t know how to get us home Jongin."

The next few hours where filled with quiet.

Ignoring the sweat gathering at the base of his neck, Jongin rested in the co-pilot chair peering into the unknown expanse of space before, feeling way too small compared to it. Especially now that he felt so weak, the bandages around his ribs were rubbing uncomfortably against the wounds there, his legs ached, and his face itched.

He felt horrible.

While he rested, he could distantly hear Taemin fiddling, tinkering, and completely gutting certain parts of the ship, trying to accomplish who knows what.

During this Jongin analyzed his new companion.

Taemin was still a mystery, Jongin could see that there were a lot of things brewing underneath the surface when it came to the other man, and he didn’t know how it could manifest itself. But Taemin did seem like he was trying to get them out of their predicament, and had been helping him heal; so, for that, Jongin decided to bide on the side of cautious optimism.

Although the gun he had seen Taemin wield and subsequently quarantine underneath a crate, did leave him a bit uneasy.

The box shook violently every now and then, as if the gun wanted to get out.

‘Where the hell did he find that?’

If his legs had been working as they were supposed to, he’d walk over to that box and try and find out.

“Jongin!” Taemin called excitedly, returning to the pilot’s cabin dirtier than he had left but looking the happiest he's been since Jongin woke up.

"Look at what I found while digging through one of the supply closets?"

The item in Taemin's arms was large and beige, and he had no memory of ever seeing something like it before.

“What is it? It looks ancient.” Jongin said before he could stop himself.

His usual decorum had been lacking lately, but he wasn’t sure if he cared.

“It is ancient,” Taemin’s face brightened up even more, “it’s an old scanner, it came with the ship when I found her. I thought appa had gotten rid of it but apparently not. Let's hope it's still connected to the ship’s interface."

"By scanner, do mean that it's like a navigator?" Jongin perked up in his seat.

"Not exactly, though its similar," Taemin placed the scanner onto an empty part of the floor, "a navigator would be able to lead us back home directly. This scanner plus the ships shielding system could tell us what's near. A starting point.”

"A starting point," Jongin repeated, as Taemin plugged in the contraption and waited for its black screen to turn on.

They shared twin grins when a tiny green dot appeared relatively close by on the scanner’s screen.

Taemin hopped into his pilot chair immediately, "if I redirect our course, we can reach the dot in about a day."

Things might be looking up.

…….

'Could things get worse?' Taemin thought, leaning lightly against the bakery display before him.

How did he always find himself in these situations?

Inhaling deeply, he took in the buttery sweet scent of the pastry on the other end of the display and then paused down at his dilemma, taking in the dismal amount of credits glowing back at him from his bit card.

On the one hand, he really needed the money to get C.H.U.N.K out from the impound lot she had been in for the last few months.

Though on the other hand, his nostrils were steadily filling again with the sweet smell of mothling honey-soaked bread buns.

'Fuck it, a few buns won't leave me completely bankrupt.'

But before Taemin's hand could go up and call the shop attendant, it was smacked down.

"We can't afford it," Jongin's rich voice chimed in his ear.

"Who is this 'we' you’re talking about?" Taemin chided, raising his hand again only for it to be caught by Jongin's calloused grip, as the other promptly pulled him away from the display and back onto the marketplace's main walkway.

"Why did I save you again? You've been a pain in my ass since day three," Taemin commented plainly, failing to wiggle free from Jongin's hold.

Jongin smirked, swinging their joined hands, "really? what happened during days one and two?"

"You were asleep," Taemin leered, pushing Jongin away from him, "now, where are we going?"

"To work."

Jongin's smile would have been beautiful under The Bang Constellations only star Sol.

If only he wasn't such a bastard.

After finding the scanner on the ship, it turned out that the green dot that had appeared, to their sheer luck, was for a garage outpost. That first outpost, led to them going to a secluded fueling outpost, which then led to a rest stop outpost, then after weeks of jumping from place to place, and Jongin getting his ship impounded due to his shit piloting skills, they found Haru.

On the vibrantly green and humid mid-sized trading planet of Haru, they finally confirmed their location.

The Bang Constellation was a small remote group of six planets which revolved around their central star, Sol. Apparently, it was known for its trade and something he didn't care to remember. What he did know, was that the constellation was approximately two star systems away from Exodus and so many lightyears away from home that it hurt Taemin to calculate.

Haru itself, had been welcoming to them. Although the planet was a little too bright and hot, it was also densely populated and human descended allowing for much needed anonymity. From the looks of it, the Bang Constellation possessed no overarching federation type organization, making his and Jongin's illegal status much easier to work around.

"What's the job?" Taemin asked, pocketing the credit bit he wasn't 'allowed' to use.

"Nothing difficult, they mention fixing their communicators."

Taemin stilled, looking up at Jongin in question, "I’m not sure I can fix that though. Tech here is different from ours."

"I know, I had the same thought," Jongin answered pulling a bag from his haruain style cloak, long, dark and drapey. It looked like a trash bag on him, but on Jongin it surprisingly worked.

"But after checking it over. I figured it was familiar enough for you to fix, here," Jongin reached for something inside one of his deep pockets and pulled out a mothling honey bun.

"Is tha-?" Taemin stuttered, already reaching out for the bun.

"Yes~" Jongin sang.

"How-"

Before Taemin could get a word out, his mouth was prompted invaded by the treat.

What the hell!

Taking the bun out of his mouth, Taemin stared at it with slight disgust, "your fingers were all over it," he complained, licking at the sticky residue at the corner of his lips

"Delicious right?" Jongin wiggled his brows, licking his fingers clean as he placed his hood on.

Taemin glared.

The shit he put up with out of some misplaced sense of duty.

"Disgusting more like it," Taemin murmured, debating whether to eat the bun or not.

They really couldn't afford more than the basic necessities. The honey bun was a luxury and it would be a waste to throw it away.

"Taemin," Jongin pushed at Taemin's elbow, driving the treat in front of his mouth.

"It's fine, old lady Mina gave me it. She thinks I'm cute but too skinny for my own good, luckily, I thought about you and managed to get another from her. So, eat it or I’ll take it back," Jongin threatened.

Before Jongin's gross hand could even touch the pastry again, Taemin stuffed it into his mouth and turned away from the other man as tears threatened to fall from his 'good' eye.

It was truly delicious.

"Are you done being dramatic? We really need to go." Jongin drolled his eyes half cast in boredom, before resuming his walk to their destination.

"Hey, wait up!" Taemin followed.

He fixed things now, mostly small or medium sized electric or mechanical dealings for a reasonable fee (enough to keep a roof over their heads, food in their mouths, and to save to buy C.H.U.N.K back).

Who knew he had actually learned anything from watch his appa and brothers fixed things?

He had always labeled himself the dumbest one in the family.

He wondered how his family was doing. Were they worried?

Taemin's thoughts paused.

It wasn't the time to think about that.

Furthermore, while he worked on the technical stuff, Jogin worked also. Aside from being a somewhat liaison that set up jobs for him, and his translator, the other man sometimes worked as a caregiver for young children at a local orphanage.

A choice that surprised Taemin to say the least.

Catching up to Jongin, Taemin stuck close to his side, a habit that had stayed from when the man was more injured. Even now, several months later, Jongin still had a slight limp due to the lack of medical care his leg had been given.

They made their way through the streets of Haru's capital city in a comfortable silence in which Taemin's mind wandered.

His mind's favorite topic lately was the man he was stuck with.

As pushy and demanding of a bastard as he was with him almost exclusively, Jongin was good with people.

Like professionally good.

Within hours of arriving on Haru, Jongin had both found them lodging and food, all by just talking to people.

It was impressive.

'Too impressive,' Taemin contemplated, walking slightly behind Jongin to gawk at his back with distrust.

In his head, in Jogin's regular life he could see the man being a federation officer of some sort. This showed in the way Jongin talked and carried himself. Even with the limp, Jongin walked with his back straight, head up, and with purpose.

There was something almost regal about it.

From their near constant interactions with each other over the last few months, he knew Jongin came from a privileged background. One where he was rarely told the word no in.

He could ask?

But they don't really talk about their personal lives to each other.

But from what little he did know of Jongin, he knew that the man was highly educated, the fact the he knew the main language of the Bang Constellation System, told him this.

Which was a good thing, cause just looking at the numerous shop signs they passed made his brain hurt.

He returned to reality once Jongin stopped walking and reached back into his pockets.

"Let see, I wrote down your client's address somewhere," Jongin pulled out a threadbare notebook, which was falling apart but he refused to get rid of, "they said that they would pay half upfront, which should be enough to pay for our room till the end of the week. And the rest will be paid off after the job is done."

"Wait, are you sure Jongin?" Taemin reached for the notebook but was sharply rebuffed, as Jongin pulled it from his reach.

"A communicator doesn't cost that much to fix. Let me see the notebook?" Taemin huffed.

"No," Jongin curled his lip, swiftly closing the book and burrowing it into the many folds of his cloak.

"I just want to see it. My money bought it!"

"Money I helped you gain," Jongin mentioned, stepping casually onto the grass of a suburban residential area.

This was normal.

Many of his jobs were out in either rural or suburban areas were access to repair shops were limited.

It just sucked that they had to walk to them.

"Jongin," Taemin growled, grabbing onto Jongin's arm, "I need to see what I'm working on!"

Jongin's jaw tensed as he hesitated with the edge of his cloak.

Taemin rolled his eyes, "or at least show me some information about the current job."

"....ok,"Jongin pulled the much debated item out, but snatched it away quickly before Taemin could fully reach for it, "...but,"

The man was impossible.

"What?" Taemin puffed.

Jongin’s subsequent grin was everything but innocent, "I'll give you the notebook in exchange for the bit card."

Taemin now felt his own hesitance set it, "what do you need the bits for?"

"I have my reasons. Just see this as payback for the last time I left you with it. Anyways, it’s our money, give me the bit card."

Without warning Jongin wrapped himself around Taemin and reached into his back pocket for the bit card.

Another thing, Jongin was bold.

Whoever taught him manners did a shit job.

"So damn handsy!" Taemin pushed Jongin away, "and that was one-time Jongin, it hasn't happened again in weeks," Taemin stumbled away, taking the card out himself.

He wanted to sulk, but it would only make Jongin meaner. That whole ordeal was a sore spot for him.

"We switched chores one time and you almost burned down the whole inn," Jongin scoffed.

"How was I supposed to know that I was overcooking the food? I told you I never really cooked before Mr. Brilliant, and not all of us understand the Ahgase language as clearly as you seem to," Taemin twisted to his companion.

"I can’t believe that all this is coming from the person who didn't even know how to count credits until I taught him," Taemin glowered at the flimsy plastic in his hand, the dismal numeric total found there mocking both of them, "one would think you grew up in the damn woods or something."

Jongin frowned at his words.

Damn, now he felt bad.

How did this happen?

"Tell me the real reason why you want the card Jongin?" Taemin asked, it wasn't unusual for the man to ask for the bits, and he was right, it was their shared money. They timing was the only thing that seemed off to him.

Jongin paused, his normal confidence sullied by a sudden shyness that dusted his cheeks with a rosy pink.

"Are you blush-"Taemin finished with a choke as Jongin pinched his arm, "ouch! Why did you do that!"

"Because I wanted to," Jongin pouted.

"And what warrants this abuse," Taemin raised a brow, "a lover perhaps?"

"Don't be absurd. I..I actually…I," Jongin struggled, "I want to buy Mark some new shoes. His are too worn down to be useful anymore, and you know his situation," Jongin said quickly extending his hand.

'Oh, how nice,' Taemin concluded, noting how the pink flush had returned to Jongin's face.

Mark was one of the children under Jongin's care at the orphanage. In just a short amount of time, the little spitfire had become Jongin's favorite, whether he like to admit it or not. It was sweet of Jongin to want to gift the boy something new.

"Now hand it over Taemin."

And then Jongin ruins it.

"Fine. On the count of three," Taemin extended the card while Jongin did the same with the notebook.

"Three!"

They both quickly snatched their desired item.

"Your ridiculous Jongin," Taemin sneered, clutching the notebook close.

"Your even more ridiculous for going along with it,"Jongin stated, pushing him along a winding deserted road, "let's hurry up, we wasted enough time and I have to go to the store."

The job was relatively fast, leaving them more money in their bit card and extra time to eat and get Mark's shoes together, shoes that the kid had accepted enthusiastically. After playing a few rounds of Haru's version of basketball with Mark and his friends, then another few minutes trying to separate Jongin and Mark with promises of returning the next day, they headed back to the inn.

Their room at the inn was small and barely able to fit them both and their two cots at once, but it was decently clean for its low price.

In their room, they did their nightly routine in silence, while he took a shower Jongin would set up the cots or vice versa. Then the night usually ended with them both quietly slipping into their respective cots ready to rest before another day of pretty much the same thing.

"Goodnight Taemin," Jongin said with his hand steady on the room light switch above his cot.

"Goodnight Jongin."

In the dark, Taemin studied the outline of Jongin’s back.

While things weren't horrible, they were far from ideal.

Though soon enough Taemin felt that things would get much better, they almost had enough saved to buy C.H.U.N.K back then they should be good and ready to return back to the Exodus System, now that they have an idea of where it’s at, and back to their regular separate lives with this whole strange interlude behind them.

………

Several days later found them at another job. One that took them both deep into the surrounding forest of Haru’s capital (whose name he still couldn’t pronounce), which bordered on the lava rivers that were virtually inhabitable for most.

‘Who the hell lived out here?’ Taemin thought, angrily wiping the sweat from around his eyes.

Jongin looked equally upset right next to him, his usual cloak was tied around his waist with his hair sweat slicked back and away from his face. Again, Jongin would be perfectly attractive if it weren’t for the stink eye he was sending him every few seconds.

The man was so irritating.

Jongin was the reason they were out here walking up a hill in the middle of nowhere to begin with.

With every step he took the heat rose to an unbearable level. They had scrounged up enough money this time to take a cab to the base of the tall hill after the driver had refused to take them all the way to their destination, saying that it was too dangerous and calling them crazy before he kicked them out the cab.

He wanted to fight for the bits they had wasted on the ride, but Jongin stopped him, and now they were here fifteen minutes later, still walking up the damn hill.

‘I can’t wait to leave this planet,’ Taemin wiped down his face once more, Sol’s rays seemed to be more intense the higher they got.

The money better be worth it.

As for his job today, he was supposed to fix a satellite transistor for whoever it is that lived this far away from civilization. The money for this job would be more than enough to get the ship back, get her fixed and leave.

"This should be it Taemin,"Jongin stated, looking at the notebook in his hand then up at their destination in confusion.

While they were expecting a house on the top of the hill, what they got looked more like a shack.

The shack was large but looked barely held together with the same white wood like material abundant on Haru. And there was a satellite, big and rusty, that looked like it hadn’t been maintained in eons.

"Are you sure?" Taemin tapped lightly on Jongin’s arm.

The only response he got was a frown as Jongin pocketed his notebook.

Something was off.

His danger barometer was normally a little skewed, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

He didn’t know what it was exactly, but if he had brought the weapon with him, Taemin knew that without a doubt it would have been shaking wildly in its usual holster at his back.

He suddenly regretted leaving the possessed item at the inn.

“I don’t know how I feel about this Jongin, we should leave,” Taemin announced, as they made way to the ‘house’s’ front door.

Jongin stayed stubbornly silent for a moment, though his brows were strained with suspicion.

“I don’t know about this either, but we should at least check. We don’t have many options but this,” Jongin knocked on the shack’s door.

“…if you say so,” Taemin said more to himself, standing slightly behind Jongin as they waited for the door to be answered.

He hoped nobody answered.

But what was he thinking, his luck had been shit for years, that wasn’t going to change now.

The front door opened almost immediately after Jongin had knocked. To both their surprise, the face of a much older woman appeared through the doors crack. She was about three inches shorted than him, with shockingly white hair, and frail looking.

Too frail to live in such seclusion.

“Hello, we’re told that you needed some maintenance work done?” Jongin asked politely, a complete change from his grumpy attitude earlier.

“Oh yes!” the ladies face lit up with acknowledgment, as she opened up the door for them to enter, “come in please.”

The house inside was almost as bad as the outside. He didn’t mean to judge but the place was a mess. The small hallway alone was a clash of dirty carpets, useless knickknacks, and to many clocks on the walls.

The woman seemed like she lived alone, since the house was quiet.

Something wasn’t adding up.

He and Jongin shared a look behind the woman’s back.

"Why don’t you both sit down while I get you young men something to drink," The older woman led them to a small couch before hobbling away.

They sat shoulder to shoulder in silence for a beat staring at the taxidermy animal heads decorating the livingroom walls, before Taemin couldn’t contain himself anymore.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Taemin whispered, he didn’t know how well the old ladies hearing was.

“I understand, but we need the money Taemin,” Jongin countered logically, grimacing at the plastic covering the armrest under his hand, “we’re so close to getting your ship back and getting out of here. Yeah, this place is weird, but we’ve been in worse.”

True.

During a job on one of the outpost’s before arriving on Haru there was a casino and a cheating allegation that got him locked up in a dingy underground dungeon. Most casino outposts were autonomous, who knows what would have happened if Jongin hadn’t broken him out; they lost C.H.U.N.K shortly after that.

“Here you go boy’s,” the woman (who has yet to say her name) returned carrying a tray with three cups.

Both he and Jongin grabbed their drinks ravenously.

He didn’t know about Jongin, but his tongue had felt like sandpaper in his mouth for the last hour and was screaming for hydration.

The cold tea was bitter but cooling on his tongue.

But his relief was short lived.

Immediately after downing his drink, Taemin felt his vision begin to blur as his head began to loll to the side landing on Jongin’s lap.

Oh no.

"Ma'am, what…"Jongin slurred, slumping back as the drink began to affect him also, "what was in that tea?"

The older lady smiled down at them cruelly,".....its’s V extract tea,” She said, picking up the third cup on the tray and downing it quickly, “funny thing about this tea. For the average haruian citizen it makes us alert. But you boys aren’t the average citizens, are you?”

“Thank you very much Soonhye,” a smooth female voice chimed, Taemin watched as the newcomer handed the old lady a bit card.

They had been set up!

“You’re very welcome,” Soonhye pocketed the card before shuffling away, and four burly set of legs replaced her.

"When I was told that there were Exodus dwellers on planet, I thought my ears were deceiving me," The woman said in accented Exodus standard language, hovering over Jongin at the back of the couch, running her hand down Jongin’s face and onto his chest.

From what he could see in his hazy gaze, Jongin was unresponsive to her touch.

“You both hid pretty well. I was about to give up, but I thought I’d give it one last try,” the woman moved on to him, her gaze satisfied.

Taemin was surprised, the woman looked no older than he and Jongin, and she did not look like the trafficker she apparently was, with her deceptively sweet face and sparkling eyes.

"You must have angered some pretty powerful people. You both have a bounty on your pretty little heads, and I intend to be paid in full for it” The woman finally backed away to signal to the four others in the room, “Take them.”

Wait, no!

This couldn’t be happening. He was supposed to be going home.

Taemin wanted to fight back, but his body was growing more and more weightless. The last thing he remembered was being grabbed by rough hands and the sound of captivating laughter in his ears.

……….

(Elsewhere)

"Changmin?" Taeyong groaned into the warmth on the left side of his body.

It was taking him longer than usual to get to his classroom today.

But he had Changmin to blame for that.

After holding him hostage at the campus cafe for breakfast, the older had decided to morph into an overgrown koala right in front of one of the entrances to the political science's building.

"Changmin, are you going to let me go anytime soon?" Taeyong asked, peeking over his brother's arms.

He really needed to get to his next class, his professor wasn't one to trifle with.

“Changmin, let me go,” Taeyong tried to reason under his breath.

"I'm thinking about it," Changmin murmured into his hair, pressing him closer "hey, why don't you ditch your class and spend time with me? I'm free for the rest of the day."

Why was Changmin like this?

He wanted to disappear into the ground. They weren’t exactly the only ones in the area, and people were starting to look. He already received too much unwanted attention to begin with, he didn't need more.

But he also wasn't going to push Changmin away either.

Changmin had been looking worse off during the last few months, and Taeyong suspected that it had to do with his job and the plague effort.

"Look, if your free, maybe you should take this time to rest," he patted at the taller's arm in reassurance, “you really need it Changmin."

He wishes he was lying.

There were large dark circles under Changmin’s eyes and the man’s normally tan semblance was pallid due to the long days stuck in either an office or a lab.

“I could rest but I’m not exactly tired,” Changmin swayed him in his hold.

Was he a doll now?

“I’m sorry Changmin,” Taeyong avoided his brother's piercing gaze, "I’d love to keep you company but I’m busy right now.”

Changmin tensed, but immediately relaxed.

“It’s okay Yong, I understand,” Changmin hugged him closer before finally letting go, “I guess I’ll find something else to do.”

“You can go visit appa?” Taeyong suggested, the question weighing heavily between them.

His appa lived on Nova-X now for the time being.

Apparently, the man had been a high-ranking engineer for the federation way before he was born, and surprisingly his appa had been offered a position in the plague effort months after he had left for the academy. Even more surprising was that his appa had accepted it, he knew how much his appa loved the restaurant and the simple life of an ex-bandit. But he ultimately understood his appa's decision. Taeyong just wished he could see him more; the man was always busy nowadays.

Awkwardly adjusting the straps of his backpack, he distracted himself from the phasing of emotions that were playing on Changmin's face.

"I don’t know yong? He’s just as tired as I am, even more so actually.”

Yeah, he knew.

“I thought you weren’t tired?” Taeyong attempted a grin.

“You know what I mean,” Changmin offered his own equally humorless smile, “you should head to class,” He patted on Taeyong’s shoulder as he pushed him towards the entrance.

Taeyong vacillated.

Maybe he should stay with Changmin?

“Go,” Changmin urged, pulling out his mobile, “I’m going to take appa out for a late lunch, and nod along as he complains about how much the food sucks and how he could do better.”

Taeyong laughed, to cover up the slight trepidation in his stomach, “I can’t wait for him to tell me when I call him later. See you Changmin,” Taeyong reached for the door.

“Bye Taeyong,” Changmin called from behind him, “everything is going to be fine.”

Taeyong simply nodded in Changmin's direction.

He wasn’t as sure about that.

Practically running into the building, Taeyong fast walked down several hallways and up three flights of stairs, attempting to not get to his class too late.

His current professor was a hard ass, but even though about ninety percent of the academy population were afraid of him (Taeyong included), he quite liked the class and hated to miss it.

At about three classroom lengths away from his assigned one, Taeyong bumped into a random person in the seemingly empty hallway.

“Sorry,” Taeyong apologized briskly, fully intent on resuming his trek to his course.

“No problem-ah...wait?” A thoughtful voice came from behind him, unconsciously stopping Taeyong in the process, “Are you Jaejoong’s son?”

Huh? How the hell?

Taken aback, Taeyong turned to the person.

It was a tall, handsome older man, with short dark chestnut hair and kind eyes. Going by the tailored federation uniform, the man both blended into his surroundings and looked extremely out of place.

“Yes, I am?” Taeyong answered unsurely, withholding from saying anything else.

This wasn’t the first person to ask him this, his appa apparently knew a lot of people. And he was both blessed and cursed with the man’s likeness, so the question was inevitable.

“Jung Yunho, I consult for the academy. I used to know Jaejoong a long time ago,” Yunho mentioned, studying Taeyong.

The look wasn’t leery. It was more explorative, making him feel nervous. The fact that the stranger used to know his appa calmed him a little though.

But not so much as to want to linger in his presence.

“Kim Taeyong, nice to meet you but I’m short on time, I have a class to get to now,” he briefly bowed, unsure how to proceed.

Yunho’s eyes widened, “Oh, I’m sorry to keep you. You look just like him I was caught by surprise,” with a wave Mr. Jung went on his way, “I’ll be seeing you Taeyong.”

“You…to,” Taeyong responded to no one.

It took in a moment to recognize the name the man had told him. Was Jung Yunho, the Jung of Jung industries?

Taeyong wondered a little after the well-dressed stranger left.

He might be reaching though, Changmin was a Jung also but all he did was freeload off his appa on his time off.

‘Weird,’ Taeyong shrugged.

Checking his watch, he almost had a stroke. He was twenty-five minutes late to class!

Accelerating his steps, Taeyong made it to the end of the long hall to his classroom in no time.

Catching his breath, Taeyong ran a stressed hand through his newly cut hair, as he attempted to sneak into professor Do's Hoplology and Combative Behavior course.

He failed.

As the door’s hinges screeched laboriously as it opened, Taeyong felt a small piece of his soul wither away.

Entering, he could see his friend Yuta in the back of the third row, duck his head as he choked back a laugh.

"Mr. Kim."

The professionally distant voice of his professor resonated from the side of the ongoing HOLO display presentation.

“You’re welcome to sit down at any time,” His professor continued, his piercing eyes boring into Taeyong.

“Oh, y-yes Professor Do."

Realizing that he had been staring, Taeyong dropped right into his seat. As Yuta’s soft laughter reached his right ear, he was stuck between feeling mortified and wanting to throw his whole bookbag at Yuta’s face.

He settled for a glare.

“…now let’s continue….” Professor Do’s velvet voice resumed its usual cadence as it described tactical theory and its importance in the field.

After the class, his day went on relatively smoothly.

Now that he was finished his school day and after declining Yuta’s and Ten’s invites for a night out but reassuring them that they would hang out next week and that he wasn’t becoming a shut-in, he treaded towards what he had considered his refuge ever since entering the academy.

Bypassing the modern steel glory that were the two main academy libraries, Taeyong followed a short reedy pathway to a third less spectacular more deteriorating building which housed the archive library.

The archive library was probably the least used building in the whole academy, too full with old and archaic knowledge and tech to attract anyone else other than a few serious scholars. On the interior of the building there were two floors; the first floor was were the archives were located with fifty or so rows of all pre-federation knowledge one could imagine, the second floor was much smaller and contained just a few tables full of old monitors and computers.

He didn’t know who maintained or who even kept the building running, but in his time going there he’s only seen a few other people using the facilities, Mr. Do being one of them which made sense due to his job, but other than that he was usually alone when he arrived.

But today something strange occurred.

When he had made it to the second floor room, it still looked the same; six or seven rows of tables full of dusty monitors overlooking a wall of floor to ceiling windows, the windows were accompanied by a small rest area complete with a ratty sofa and a table that had seen better days, and in the opposite corner there was a small office.

The only thing out of place was the person sitting on the sofa, eating.

This has never happened before.

Taeyong wasn’t quite sure what to do, he jumped a little when noticing that the man had paused from eating to stare owlishly back at him from under shaggy hair and a dark hoodie.

Stunned, Taeyong didn’t hear the door as it slammed closed.

This guy was familiar.

And by familiar he meant that he’s seen this person’s face thousands of times ever since arriving to Nova-X; on billboards, in the news, in textbooks and in tabloids (in which he was reportedly currently in a relationship with three models at the same time).

Though what he was seeing didn't really match the playboy image the man had. There was rice stuck on his left cheek, and although not in the immaculate state he was used to seeing him, the man’s dimples were recognizable.

"I'm sorry your highness, I didn't know anyone was in here,"Taeyong walked into the area, while not to subtly looking for anyone else in the room.

It was a well-known fact in the academy that mostly everyone wanted to meet the youngest prince, to the point that he was surprised that none of the royal stalkers were around. He had no classes with the prince, but from what he heard, there were always normally dozens of people surrounding him at all times. 'Where were they now?’ Taeyong asked himself, surveying the room again.

“It’s fine. I work here,” Jaehyun stated, pointing at the academy employee ID latched to his sweater.

But hardly anyone came to the building?

What kind of job was this?

“But hardly anyone comes here?” Taeyong cringed inwardly, he wasn’t sure if he was speaking out of turn.

Was there a protocol to this?

Should he bow?

Going by Jaehyun’s relaxed, albeit detached, demeanor he might not have caught Taeyong's slip up.

Jaehyun’s dusky eyes lit up with mirth, "That's the reason I picked this job. Due to my current circumstances, it's preferred not to have many people around while I work," Jaehyun signaled to the deserted room around them.

There didn't seem to be much 'work' to do.

But who was he to judge; his own part time job was at an unpopular café.

It seemed like current circumstances were affecting them all.

"Plus, my father’s name day is coming up soon and you know how crazy the planets can get around this time, I want to avoid the crowds of ‘well-wishers’."

Yeah, this time of year got pretty damn crazy.

It was straight up madness and festivals honoring the emperor, well for the main planets that is, the further out you go the less the fervor is.

"And it’s going to be worse this year because it also mark's the anniversary of…" Jaehyun stilled, his eyes clouding over with something achingly familiar.

Sensing the prince’s unease, Taeyong gave him an out, "I didn't really grow up with the tradition. I'm not from the main planets."

"Ah, makes sense why I didn’t see you at the campus party last year. I'm sure I would've remembered a face like yours," Jaehyun gave him a light smile while clearing his food into a nearby bin.

Was that a come on?

No, it must be a fluke, the man was with three models.

‘And you are certainly too uninteresting to compare to them,’ Taeyong decided to ignore the comment, hoping that he wasn't committing a crime, as he placed his bag next to his preferred monitor, nearest to where prince Jaehyun had been sitting, and sat down.

The 127XL dual processor trekmaster monitor was an ambitious name for a simple tracking device. The monitor used to be as slow and dated as the eight other exact monitors the room possessed, but he had fined tuned it to be an efficient beast.

Sitting down, he clicked the monitor on.

"Oh, so you're here to do that again," Jaehyun leaned on the corner of the table not five inches away from him, stretching out his long legs.

Why was he so close?

He was never one to fantasized about meeting the prince or imperial family, much preferring to keep to himself, his family, and the few friends he had picked up since arriving to the planet.

Although Jaehyun was proving to be the opposite of the image the media had for him. The aura around the prince seemed very calm and perfectly at home in the semi abandoned library.

The princes last statement lingered in the back of his mind.

He didn't know how to answer.

Apparently, he was being watched during his stays at the library. And no matter how amiable Jaehyun seemed to be, Taeyong understood the difference in power between them.

One wrong move or perceived slight could have him in jail and kicked out of school.

So, he should just ignore it.

Too bad his mouth rarely agreed with his mind.

"Do what again?" Taeyong spat out.

If Jaehyun considered his directness a threat, then he might have been right.

He had always been a bit confrontational; it was a flaw.

“Nothing,” Jaehyun raised his hands up innocently, “I just noticed that sometimes you stare at that monitor as if it’s going to give you all the answers."

"Actually, it's all I’ve seen you do,” Jaehyun considered him, “Well that and destroying academy property, but don’t worry I’ll keep that between us,” he added, winking down at Taeyong.

He did not like this at all.

The prince had been observing him much closer than he had previously thought, but what left him even more out of sorts was at how right Jaehyun’s assumption had been.

He was here for a reason.

The monitors in this antiquated lab, were some of the few public ones that allowed for the live monitoring of older ships.

Specifically, ships that owned older parts.

For example, if a ship like C.H.U.N.K were to give out a signal of any kind within the star system, the monitor before him would detect it before most advanced ones.

Jaehyun had asked if he was waiting for answers.

In a way, he was.

"Would it sound odd if I told you that I am waiting for an answer," Taeyong’s voice weakened, his eyes focused on the green glow of the countless points now displayed on the monitor before him.

"No, it wouldn't," Jaehyun’s face turned solemn, as he started for what would be his small office, "anyways, you know where to find me if you need anything Taeyong."

The soft click of an office door brought an alarming question to Taeyong's mind.

He never told the prince his name.

Even though an impulse in him wanted to get up and demand some answers, his rational side thought better.

He had more pressing questions to attend to anyways.

Like, where has Taemin gone to?

Because three years have passed since he disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments would be nice, they help me with how I proceed with the story! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Violence, implied violence towards children, and dubious consent (non-sexual)
> 
> This chapter is long. I'm so sorry for that, every time i edited it it just kept getting longer... :(

………..

Jongin wakes up with his heart in his stomach and a dry mouth.

His eyes snapped open as his body rocked involuntarily, the haze in his head lasts for moments until he’s shaken again by a weight on his side.

Jongin stilled, turning to what was weighing him down.

“Taem-?” he asked, when noticing a familiar crop of silver blond hair.

“Taemin!” he struggled to sit up when realizing how still Taemin was.

Looking around, Jongin noticed the tinted windows and the vibrations coming from under him.

They were being transported.

Not again.

They had been set up.

He felt so foolish.

He should have listened to Taemin and his warnings. But things financially were getting tight and they were very close to losing their space in the inn, they had needed that job.

Not that it mattered now.

“Taem-?” He shook the other man’s shoulders. Drawing his hand up to Taemin’s face, Jongin took in bluish lips.

His breath caught as he thought of the worst.

“Taemin!” He choked on unexpected emotions, though he calmed once feeling the man’s weak pulse.

Taemin was cold but alive.

Taemin was his…friend. Impulsive as hell, observant and competent; he was surprised at how well they worked together even though they did argue all the time.

Hugging Taemin close, Jongin hoped it was enough to warm him up.

Then a small groan resounded on the opposite end of him.

Looking towards it, Jongin's heart dropped.

"Mark?"

Carefully placing an unresponsive Taemin back down, Jongin hurried to the trembling form of the five-year-old he knew so well.

"Mark!" Jongin gathered the boy into his arms.

He was cold, too cold.

And there was also blood on his forehead.

He felt so guilty, that woman must have been tracking them if she knew about the orphanage.

“Hey! What are you doing awake!?” A gruff voice someone banged, as a sour smelling smoke filled the space.

Jongin’s eyes rolled back.

The next time Jongin awoke, it was with bleary eyes and bound hands.

"Your finally awake," a saccharine voice tickled his ears.

Mina!

Jongin lurched up to attack, only to be sent back down by a heavy pair of hands and a weight tying him down.

He was strapped to a chair.

Looking around he was met with a cramped storage room, with overstuffed crates and boxes overlooking a city he's never seen before.

"Whe-where?" Jongin tried to rein in his alarm.

"You're on the Loona outpost station, my domain," Mina said brightly, settling onto a box in front of him, her pistol strapped visibly across her chest.

She didn’t look like a normal trafficker. She was a pretty older woman, who stood about two feet shorter that him, with fine clothes and a disarming smile.

She was the perfect trafficker.

Her smile almost made him forget about Taemin and Mark's lack of presence in the room.

Where were they?

"I see your eyes searching, don't worry your friend and the kid are in safe hands."

She didn't inspire much hope from him.

"For some reason, I don't believe that-," Jongin couldn’t finish.

A hit landed on the back of his head, and he saw stars. Before he could say anything more a brutish hand slapped over his mouth.

"I'm speaking," Mina tensed, her fingers clenching around her pistol briefly, "I'm only doing this as a formality because I am a woman of standards. We both know why you’re here, so there is no need for me to explain.”

Jongin contained his scoff.

"The person that wants to buy you is being disagreeable, so were currently under renegotiation…"

Although logically he did know what was happening, a sharp gasp still escaped him at the information.

He was being sold.

How was that possible?

What did this mean for the others?

Jongin's heart raced at the possibilities.

Mina smirked at his reaction, but continued on,"...so, although I'd rather not have you in my presence. You will remain on station until I reach a deal I'm happy with," Mina sneered at her men before leading back to him, “you’ll be set up in your accommodations while I do business.”

Shock left him limp as he was dragged away from the room.

After the chat with Mina, he was placed in a room with Taemin and Mark's unconscious bodies.

It was a day later when he broke the news to them.

It had been little more than two weeks and they hadn't left that room since, nor have they seen Mina.

During those weeks they had settled on a routine of sorts. They woke up, where fed through the slot in the door three times a day, entertained Mark as best they could while anxiety for the unknown ate at them, and then struggled to sleep.

Dinner time rolled by again on the second day of their third week in captivity.

"Jongin you have to eat something," Taemin said lifting a spoonful of green gruel to his mouth, while avoiding the open wound on his lip as a result of an altercation with one of the guards the night before.

He hadn’t been hungry in days, much less for the meager options Mina had been giving them

"No, I rather have my tastebuds last me a few more years," Jongin moped, pushed the large bowl away from him on their makeshift table in distaste, reaching instead for the leafy green like vegetables in the second bowl.

Taemin rolled his eyes at the action, consuming another spoonful of the green mush, "it tastes just fine to me, and Mark likes it to," he tilted his head to the boy between them, too busy messily eating his mush to pay attention to their conversation.

Jongin cringed, "get that away from him," he reached to do just that, but was intercepted by Taemin’s nubby digits.

He could make a jab at how Mark's hands looked manlier, but the last time he did Taemin stopped talking to him for three days.

He found out the hard way how much he enjoyed Taemin's company.

Not that he would ever tell Taemin, who'd just get emotional about it which in turn would make him emotional and make him admit it.

That wouldn't do.

"Jongin there really is nothing wrong with it. Yeah it's visually upsetting, but it tastes like those caramel serenity pies they used to sell back at home, before the Emperor decided that he hated kids and happiness," Taemin paused to savor another spoonful, "I'm sure you had one of those?"

Jongin glared.

His father never hated kids, though his older brother would plead otherwise, he simply just implemented a federation wide health plan to combat child obesity. Something that put serenity pies out of business.

"No, I wasn't allowed to eat those. My father called them sugar bombs that would rot your teeth and your brain, but it does explain a lot about you," Jongin piled a plate for Mark with actual food.

Now it was Taemin's turn to scowl at him, "and I always wondered why you seemed deprived Jongin, now it all makes sense. It’s that stick you have up your ass-"

"Taemin!" Jongin reminded, tilting his head to a very attentive Mark.

"Nevermind...have you even tasted it?" Taemin asked, scooping a portion of Mark's leftovers and shoving it into Jongin's face.

It smelled like slightly unsweetened caramel. Not completely unappealing, but he'd be damned if he gave in to Taemin.

"Taste it!" Taemin all but shoved the spoon into Jongin’s face.

“No,” Jongin swiped the offending hand away.

Glaring at Jongin, Taemin turned his attention to the five-year-old with mischievous eyes, "Mark the green slime is delicious right? Shouldn't Jongin taste it?"

"Yeah," Mark stopped to lick his spoon of the green goop, "it's really good, try it Jong."

Taking in Mark’s pleased but messy face, Jongin wept within. His innocent boy didn't realize he was being used.

He glowered at Taemin from over the boy's head, who just smiled sweetly as he handed the spoon over to Mark.

"Why don't you give it to him Mark?"

The son of a bitch.

Taemin knew he couldn't say no to his boy.

Jongin paused at his own thoughts, he didn't know when he had begun to call Mark his. But it didn't feel wrong.

The connection between them was instant, he spent every moment he could with the kid while on Haru, to the point that he had even entertained adopting him. There was no other choice but to now. Mark was exactly how he imagined his kid with Kyungsoo would’ve been. Although too many of Taemin’s traits were rubbing off on the kid.

Especially manipulation.

“Here have some of mine Jongin,” Mark said making his way over to him.

Allowing Mark to scramble onto his lap, Jongin reluctantly opened his mouth.

He took a moment to evaluate the ‘food?’ under the watchful gazes of Taemin and Mark.

"It’s…" Jongin swished the food around his mouth, the consistency was shit, but he's had worse things,"...good."

"Yay!" Taemin and Mark chorused, slapping their hands together.

"Wow, did that hurt for you to admit?" Taemin condescended, eating an obnoxiously big spoonful of the green substance.

"Yes,"Jongin coughed weakly, doubling over onto the floor, "my sugar levels are too high! Help me Mark!" he said pulling the boy to him, “help me!”

"So silly!" Mark crashed into Jongin’s stomach, cackling.

Only to Jump in fright when a loud bang sounded on the door, a warning from the guards to quiet down.

Mark whimpered; his frightened eyes directed at the door.

“It’s all right,” Jongin gathered the shaking boy into his arms, “I’m here.”

He and Taemin shared a concerned look over the boy’s shoulder.

They couldn’t talk openly about their situation. When they did, it was late in the night while Mark slept soundly between them.

It was the only time they weren't under full vigilance.

They had differed in what they should be doing. While Taemin had wanted to escape using any means necessary, Jongin felt like there was little hope in a successful escape. The outpost was guarded and monitored to the teeth, and there was also Mark to consider.

Mina and her men were not above using the boy as a pawn to make them behave (the reason why Taemin was sporting a split lip and his leg had been broken again).

They turned in early that night, not that they could do anything else. Soon enough, they all settled into the bare bedroll they were provided with.

While Taemin lounged on the far opposite corner of the bed, poking at the edge of his left eye for some reason (something he’d seen often enough to not question anymore), Mark had long since burrowed into the billowing fabric of his cloak and stayed there close to his chest.

The boy was still shaken from earlier. It wasn’t unusual for Mark to have nightmare’s these days.

Jongin needed to calm him down.

Peering into the fold of his cloak he addressed the boy, “Are you coming out anytime soon?”

Mark shook his head in denial, burying himself deeper. The wetness on Jongin’s shirt was still damp.

“Would you like to hear a story?” he asked, placing a gentle hand over the back of Mark’s head.

He felt Mark’s shy nod moments later.

“Once upon a time, there was a prince who found a dragon in his room,” Jongin began, grinning at the set of curious eyes peering up at him through his cloak.

“…What was the dragon doing there?” Mark asked, and soon enough he climbed out from his hole.

Wiping at tear stained cheeks, Jongin settled the boy close to him and began his story.

“Well you see..,” Jongin then launched into a tale of a prince and his dragon best friend, and how they both overcame their greatest fears with each other’s help.

"That was a good story, I've never heard of it," Taemin whispered suddenly, having moved closer during the story, by now Mark had long since fell asleep.

Jongin mumbled in agreement, passing his hand over Mark's soft hair, "it was a story my appa used to tell me before he passed."

In that moment, Jongin was briefly seven years old again, tucked underneath the right arm of his ailing appa, as he and Mingyu argued over who got to be the dragon in the story.

It had been one of the few memories he had with the man.

Lost in nostalgia, it took Jongin a moment to realize that that was the first piece of personal information he had shared with Taemin in their year of knowing each over.

He felt slightly panicked because of it.

"That's sweet. My appa never told me stories like that, he said they were too fanciful, and my little brother liked music, so he would sing us to sleep instead," Taemin slurred, digging his face into the rough pillow under him.

Jongin's heart settled, startling a bit when Taemin quickly brought their hands together and pressed before letting go and returning to his corner of the bed.

"Goodnight Jongin."

"Goodnight Taemin."

Jongin would like to say that he had fallen asleep immediately after that, the day had been exhausting, but he didn't.

He had spent some time thinking. Thinking about home and its problems as usual. Then when sleep finally hit him, he counted the harsh rise and fall of Taemin's chest, only closing his eyes when Taemin had calmed.

The other man was in the midst of a nightmare. It happened every now and then.

Like most things between them, they didn't talk about it.

He just hoped the other would be fine and settle soon as he closed his own eyes.

Sleep didn't last long.

All three of them where awaken by the loud bang of a door and a sudden flood of people entering the room.

“Wake up boys!” Mina sang, leaning against the doorway, “guess who made a deal?’

Immediately, Mark was ripped from Jongin’s hands, his cries loud in the room. Before Jongin could catch his bearings, he was being pushed back into the bed by several hands.

“Stop-!” Taemin’s shouts were cut off by a gurgle as he was dragged away by three men.

Jongin struggled but to no avail.

“Let them go-!” Jongin forced out, while the hand pressed down on his throat grew tighter.

“Now I won’t do that,” Mina laughed, “They have somewhere they need to be, as do you.”

The punch dealt to his face left him reeling, and Jongin went out fast, the last memories in his head being Marks reddened face and Taemin’s muffled shouts.

………

"Lee!"

Sweat stung his eyes as Taemin pulled the still smoldering piece of metal from the water drum the person before him had placed it in.

Positioning the metal on the line belt, he began to assemble.

Sprocket.

Chain.

Screw in middle.

Attached side two.

Repeat.

"Lee!"

"Yes, Master Yang?" Taemin slowed his pace on the assembly line but did not stop working as he addressed his supervisor.

"You’re on second shift today," Yang announced uneventfully, his slender finger tapping on the edge of his clipboard as he waited for a response

"Ok," Taemin replied, reaching for his tongs again.

"Excellent," Mr. Yang announced,"Mrs. Chang will be awaiting your arrival then," he said before leaving onto the next laborer.

Second shift was horrible; seven solid hours of field work with little breaks in between. But on the bright side, second shift was better than third shift. Sure, the pay was slightly better in third shift, but the touches and the lewd looks were not worth the time missed at home.

He had to hurry, he was off in twenty minutes but only had an hour and a half before his shift in the fields began.

He still needed to pick Mark up from the junior laborer facility.

When he had learned of Mina's plans for him and Mark he had fought. He tried to do everything in his power to stop her plans from coming to fruition, but he failed. Mina and her men were stronger, smarter, and crueler; this was proved when they threatened to separate them and sell Mark off to the next buyer they found.

He couldn't allow that.

After false papers were drawn up and translators were implanted into their ears, now they were here.

They were the Lee's now, he and Mark. Now son and appa, they had been left refugee on this planet (he hadn't had the time to learn its name) after their home moon was colonized by invaders.

It was the story they were given, also the one he stuck with, and it gave him a plausible identity for his wrist band. It wasn't like the planet put much emphasis on verifying the story of a lowly laborer. The planet didn't put much care into its people either, especially the residents of what was deemed the Lowlands.

Taemin’s trip from his factory to Mark's was short, making it just in time to congregate with the other parents/guardians briefly before separating to his usual waiting spot.

They know that he kept to himself, so they mostly left him alone.

Soon enough Mark came bopping down the front entrance, the mop of his dark hair mixing in with the other children in the crowd.

Mark's eyes brightened they spotted him; his smile reserved but better than it had been in months.

"Tae-appa!"Mark chirped, wrapping himself around one of Taemin's legs.

"Little lion!" Taemin greeted, straining when picking Mark up.

He might have been getting too big for it, but he knew how much Mark liked to be held.

So, he’ll keep doing it until he couldn’t.

The kid was now six years old, he grew about an inch, had trimmed dark hair, and most recently one front tooth.

"Did your day go by well?" Taemin asked cautiously, hating the fact that the kid was forced to work.

"It was fine," Mark hummed, "but my hands hurt a little," he lifted one of his hands up to show Taemin their redden state.

Taemin’s heart constricted at the sight.

"I'm sorry little lion.When we get home, I'll put some ointment on it," he lamented, "Hey, how about we get a nice treat before going to Suho's?" he poked at the boy’s stomach.

It was a bribe, but one that he knew would work.

Mark head perked up from its position on Taemin's shoulder, "the purple stuff?"

"Yeah the purple stuff."

He didn't know exactly what 'the purple stuff' was. But it was sweet, and it had yet to kill them, so he guessed that it was safe to consume.

"Let's get going," Taemin said, adjusting Mark in his arms. The boy liked to take a short nap during their daily trek to their home. The boy wouldn’t have needed one if he didn’t spend his days fixing the bolts on clothing looms.

The walk wasn't a long one, but it had finished raining, and the mix of black muddy roads and lingering humidity was irritating, leaving an uncomfortable dampness on his neck and underneath where Mark rested. This was all made worse by the countless other Lowland inhabitants trying to either get to their respective homes or jobs.

The area they lived in was considered a slum, tucked underneath the ever-growing city of the Highlands.

He knew little about what happened in the Highlands, he's only had glimpses of it during third shift.

The glimpses weren't pleasant.

They made it home in no time. Home being a small shack tucked in the middle of various other similar shacks. With one drafty room, a bathroom with barely running water, a kitchenette and the worlds version of a HOLOscreen.

The shack had officially become home three months back, when he realized that his real home was too far away to dream of anymore.

Placing Mark on the cement floor of the shack, he sent the boy to change while he gathered his things.

Well he would first have to find Mark's things.

The shack was a mess. There were clothes everywhere and he was pretty sure something was growing in the pile of dishes in the sink.

He hadn't had a chance to clean in ages. Something he usually did on the eighth day of the week, which was normally his only day off. But last weekend he was called back on third shift on his day off, all because a wealthy patron wanted to see his face.

Bad shivers ran up his spine, as he worked his way around the mess and gathered all Mark needed for his time in the childcare facility.

"Mark, we have to go now!" Taemin called, searching for the boy.

"I'm here Tae," Mark chirped next to the front door, causing him to jump a little.

The kid would be the death of him.

"Good let's go," Taemin said, reaching for both Mark and an extra shirt from the ‘clean’ pile on his bed.

The purple stuff tended to get messy.

A long line and a shirt change later, they made it to Suho's childcare facility.

The three-story off-white childcare facility was in the nicer part of the slums. The facility belonged to an older couple that used to live in the Highlands but were excommunicated. Suho, a widowed refugee from a planet in the system, volunteered at the facility after his workday in the foodmills. He was also Mark's favorite teacher, which could be mostly due to Donghyuk, Suho's son and Mark's best friend.

The cost for childcare was a bit pricey, taking up most of his third shift salary, but it was worth it.

"Heachan!!" Mark flew from his grip and into his friends’ arms.

Taemin’s heart melted at the sight.

‘they’re so small,’ he gushed.

"See you later Mark," Taemin muttered, knowing that the kid did not hear him.

Now he truly knew how unappreciated his appa felt all those years.

"Adorable, aren't they?" Suho awed, from next to the boys.

"Not really," Taemin pouted," My little lion's ignoring me."

Suho jabbed him on the shoulder, "toughen up. It comes with the territory. Are you working today?"

"Second shift."

Suho winced in sympathy as he looked up at the distance, the sun's beams glowing strong around the silhouette of the Highland buildings.

"Damn. Taemin make sure that your properly covered, and drink water whenever you can and-"Suho’s face flushed with worry,

"I will mother," Taemin teased, knowing that the older man was a worrywart.

"Go to work Taemin," Suho glared weakly, "come on boys."

Taemin laughed.

He was thankful for Suho honestly.

Somebody cared, and he also cared for someone on this hellish planet.

"See you later Suho."

Second shift went as well as expected. He was put on weed pulling responsibility, which meant hours hunched over under the sweltering heat of the planet's dual sun's.

A luxury only the highland people get to experience, their buildings high enough to shroud the lowlands in darkness

When he was done, his credits were directly added to his identity bracelet and then he tiredly hauled himself back to Suho's with bleary eyes.

He was so glad he didn't have third shift today.

He was exhausted.

The kind of exhaustion that seeped into his bones. His days for the past year had consisted of work, taking care of Mark, and catching up on rest. But no amount of sleep would get rid of how he felt. The resolve was being drained from him. He wanted to go home, but it was getting difficult to figure out how to achieve that when he had no time to think.

Even his eye had been malfunctioning, either that or something had disconnected again, but his vision in it was in and out. So he couldn’t even use it to plan, like he usually did.

If there ever was a time for that possessed gun to popup, it word be now.

He needed a miracle.

The evening found them preparing for dinner.

As he cooked, or more like reheated the leftovers Suho had made for them, Mark told him about his day.

"...and then Haechan dared me to touch the turtle's tail, and I did, but then I remember that Ms. Liu didn't want us to touch it. Then he dared me to take a pencil from Ms.Han's desk without asking, so I did. Do you think I'll get in trouble? I'll return it tomorrow, I promise!" Mark squeaked, pulling out the item in question hesitantly from his bag.

‘Of course, bad behavior always leads back to Haechan,’ Taemin shook his head with fond annoyance.

He often wondered how such a sweetheart like Suho ended up with that rowdy son of his. Haechan was a handful, who often got Mark into more trouble than he should. But he was also such a fun kid.

"Hmm, did the teacher see you?" Taemin opened the oven like device and saw that they're meals were done.

"No."

"Then you'll be fine, the trick is never to get caught-"Taemin stopped himself.

Was that the best thing to say?

What would Jongin say?

‘Something responsible like, I guess?’

Turning to the boy, Taemin looked into confused eyes, "I mean, if she didn't notice this time, you'll be fine. But don't do it again, what did I tell you about accepting Haechan's dares."

Mark paused pressing a finger to his chin, his round face tilted in thought, "you told me to make sure I dared him to kiss my ass-"

"Language Mark!" Taemin reprimanded, "say the other thing I told you," Taemin fixed, returning his attention to the food. It was still too hot to the touch to move manually.

Mark hummed. Searching in his memory for a moment, "you told me to say no if I didn't like the dare."

"Exactly," Taemin pulled out a small towel and a fork, hoping that it would help him get the food out of the awkwardly deep oven contraption. But his eyes malfunctioning threw off his depth perception, making him singe his fingers on hot ceramic.

"Damn it!"

The bowls crash back harshly onto the oven rack as he snatched his hands away.

He couldn't see it, but Mark's eyes brightened at his words.

"Language Tae!" Mark wailed automatically"...that means that I can say another one!" He whispered loudly.

‘Oh no,’ he thought, turning to the boy.

"Stop-"

"Fuck!" Mark said loudly.

"Shit!" Taemin said without thought.

He must have been drunk when he came up with the cursing rule.

Mark's mouth fell open in awe.

How did he get stuck with this demon child?

"Mark stop-!" Taemin warned.

"Fuck!" Mark giggled, holding his stomach as it turned into a laugh. Giddy at having gotten away with three bad words in a day.

A laugh slipped from Taemin without warning. Mark was too cute with his belly laughs and the situation was plain ridiculous.

Jongin would kill him for encouraging this.

"That's it!" Taemin stalked to the table," now you're really in for it mister!" He growled.

"No!" Mark squealed, scrambling up to hide beneath his bed's measly covers.

"To late!" Taemin followed, scooping the giggling mass up quickly to poke at its sides.

"No let go!" Mark shouted between snorts, grabbing at Taemin’s hands.

"Never!" Taemin doubled his attack, "not until you apologize!"

"Ok! Ok!" Mark said between lungfuls of air," I'm sorry!" He tried to wiggle from Taemin's hold. But Taemin wouldn't let go.

"Not yet mister," he said placing the boy on the ground, "I need you to promise me that you won't repeat those words, at least not until your older."

Mark at first looked like he wanted to argue, but calculation took over his features," when I'm older? Like thirteen?"

"...sure," Taemin answered readily.

Seven years was a good amount of time for him to conveniently forget he made this deal.

"Okay then, I won't say anymore bad words," Mark added a zipping motion over his mouth.

Taemin knew that this wasn't the complete truth, but it was good enough.

"It's a deal then," Taemin said, lightly pinching at Mark's cheek, "let's go eat."

Dinner was as normal, with Mark telling him more about his day with Haechan. After, they were off to bed.

"Goodnight Mark," Taemin said, pooling the blankets loosely around the boy who often complained that he got too cold at night.

His hand was caught before he could step away.

"Stay please," Mark asked, resorting to the tried and true method of giving him puppy eyes as he tugged Taemin closer.

Why was he so easy?

"Fine, but only until you go to sleep."

Mark pouted but opened a space for Taemin on his small bed anyways, "okay."

Taemin heaved a breath, moving onto the bed as Mark instantly clung to his side.

Passing a hand through the boy’s hair, Mark let out a dreamy sigh,"...night Tae-appa."

Though startled, Taemin continued his ministrations.

His fake heart couldn't handle things like this. He shouldn't be allowing Mark to call him that outside of public settings, it will just confuse the boy when he hands him back to Jongin.

But he would be lying if he said that he wasn't attached.

Mark was an easy kid. Aside from being pre-raised (with most of the messy years taken care of already), some moodiness, and a smart mouth; Mark was a good kid and taking care of him was the only thing keeping Taemin sane.

He shouldn't have gotten attached.

He wasn't Mark's parent or anything, he was just taking care of him until Jongin came back. But the mere thought that their situation was only temporary stung a little. One day he would be without the boy when Jongin finally takes him away. He had no qualms about that, Mark was Jongin's in every way except for blood.

Jongin adored the kid, and when it's time to go back to their normal life the boy will be fine without him around.

Jongin seemed privileged so hopefully there would be no more tepid re-heated meals in Mark's future and no more forced labor.

Mark will be happy; he deserves some happiness.

After they had taken Jongin, Mark was inconsolable. But instead of getting angry and lashing out, the boy grew quiet. Very quiet. Mark was too used to losing people, and Taemin, although it would hurt, wanted to be the last person the boy lost.

But that was in the future.

Right now, he was slightly impressed with himself.

He would have been a half decent parent, though it wasn't in the cards anymore.

Kids were always a point of contention between him and Minho. They (mainly Minho) had talked about children in their future, once they were older and more established in their careers. They had planned for two, a girl and a boy. Minho wanted them to have his smile and his eyes, and he would tell Minho that he would much prefer their kids to come out like Minho. But secretly he worried, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to be a parent. He was sure that he'd be a shit one, it was bittersweet to know the opposite now.

None of that ever happened.

Nor will it ever.

Kids were virtually impossible for him now after the accident.

Mark fell asleep in no time, and instead of moving back to his bed Taemin stayed where he was. Mark's soft snores accompanied him as he stared out the small window across the room.

It was getting late and he should rest also. Not that he'd get much knowing that the next day would be just as long as this day was.

Exhaustion washed over him again as his eyes began to droop closed.

They have been stuck on this planet for over a year and a half.

Any hope of getting home was beginning to fizzle out, they were lightyears away from Exodus.

Looking out the window between the endless other shacks, he caught sight of the soaring tower that loomed over the Lowlands, and wondered if Jongin was alright, wherever he was.

………

"Louder so that she can hear it!"

The sharp whip of leather striking flesh echoed piercingly between the four walls of the kitchen, mixing harshly with the loud sobbing of the girl on the floor.

“20,” Jongin said lowly, staring hard at the white marble at his feet and how the blood pooling in his hands dripped onto it.

He had worked hard to get the floor clean and waxed.

He would have to clean it once more.

“Next!” bellowed Mr. Cho the head chef of the property, as he brought down the whip again.

The sting this time was harsher, racing down his arms hotly as he called out the next number.

"21."

The girl’s cries grew louder.

Was it because of her guilt? Most likely not.

She had been caught eating the leftover food off one of the lunch guests’ plates.

She was crying because she got caught.There was a high price to pay for that.

Accused of stealing food from their master’s mouth, the servant girl, Hoyoon will now be thrown out and most likely banned from the Highlands.

“Louder!! You no good-”

“Stop,” a slightly accented voice appeared from somewhere in the room.

It was Mr.Wu, the head servant of the household, and the only person other than the master and his family with enough authority to reprimand Mr.Cho, who hesitated at the request.

"But-" Mr.Cho reluctantly dropped his whipped hand.

"Now," Mr.Wu said, his towering form cutting an intimidating figure at the kitchen's doorway, "take Hoyoon to get her things, while I take servant Kim up to see Master Park."

Smacking the whip onto the ground Mr.Cho bounded his way angrily to Hoyoon, cursing under his breath. Her slight figure was no match for Mr.Cho’s robust body as he grappled on to her and hauled her up.

"I'm sorry...sorry!" Hoyoon begged as she was dragged away from the room.

The extent of Jongin's sympathy ended when she allowed him to take the blame for what she had done. But a twinge of empathy was left in him, when he realized the life that was waiting for her after this.

This world was a harsh and cruel one, full with even crueler people just trying to survive.

The minimum of what he could do was make sure that her hands were in condition to work.

Mr.Wu waited still for her cries to tapper, before striding into the room.

"You can't keep doing this Kim," Mr.Wu stated, as he stalked his way to the kitchen sink, wetting a towel once he got there.

"Mr.Wu," Jongin said in acknowledgement.

Kris shook his head, "first helping Jaekyoung at the stables and now this? People are already seeing it as a way to manipulate you," Mr.Wu said, wiping away at the blood on Jongin's hands.

Jongin looked on objectively, his wounds have stopped healing themselves, these new ones would only be added to collection on his back and legs.

They had done something to him on Thea.

"Why are you letting them do this?" Mr.Wu asked, his amiable face full of worry, As he reached into one of the kitchen’s many cabinets and pulled out a first aid kit.

Jongin shrugged.

He didn't know why really.

"And call me Kris," Kris quickly dressed his wounds, expertly tying the gauze around both his hands.

Jongin stayed hushed.

In another world he could see himself warming up to Kris and even viewing him as a friend.

But they weren't in another world.

"Fine, stay quiet" Kris grimaced in irritation, grabbing Jongin by the upper arm, "we have to go now."

Jongin followed Kris into the home's exaggerated great hall, which was spacious and colored in gaudy greens and golds, and up an impossible flight of stairs to a pair of doors.

"Come in," Leeteuk’s smooth voice called from the inside before Kris even had the chance to knock.

Kris entered first, "Master Park, I brought servant Kim as you asked," he bowed before moving Jongin into the room.

"Remember your place...please, for your own sake," Kris whispered into his ear, his hand growing heavy on Jongin's shoulder forcing him to kneel deeply in the middle of the room.

Jongin's head was forced close to the beautifully carpeted floor as he silently fumed.

He hated this place and everyone in it.

"You may leave Wu," Leeteuk instructed, moving from the perch of his study’s reading chair.

"I heard you took Hoyoon's punishment for her," Leeteuk hummed, his polished shoes appearing in Jongin’s line of sight.

"Mina is an old friend of mine you know," the sound of liquid could be heard as Leeteuk poured himself a drink,"…an old friend that owed me a favor. When I heard that she picked up someone from Haru, I knew I had to have you, even if it meant stealing you away from someone else,” he snickered into his drink.

Jongin found small relief in the fact that Leeteuk didn’t know who he really was, which made it obvious that Mina hadn’t also. Either way, her life was forfeit once this was all done.

"I like to collect things,” Leeteuk mentioned casually, “you can see it in my antique art collection in the main foyer, my old-fashioned vehicles out back, and in the people I employ…”

Sliding his foot underneath Jongin’s chin, Leeteuk angled his face upwards.

“You see. I found Cho on the fifth planet of this system a filthy hellhole called Kovy, Wu is from a distant moon that got overran and plundered, and now I have you…”

Jongin tried not to recoil as Leeteuk’s cold fingers trailed the nape of his neck, running over the metallic collar that kept him ‘docile’.

He was the only one in the household with one on, made an example of because of his behavior during his early days of ‘employment’.

Leeteuk promised to take it off, but never did, no matter how good his behavior was.

He hated this man.

Leeteuk treated him like what he was, an object that he owned.

“Servant Kim, sometimes I wonder?” Leeteuk’s voice held a pensive tilt, “Do you miss home?The Haru planet is so far away, that I'm amazed that I even found one of your kind.”

Jongin kept his gaze to the ground, the less he engaged the faster he’d get away from the man.

“…Always so quiet," Leeteuk cooed, dragging his fingers up Jongin’s neck and into the back of his shirt collar.

This wasn’t a recent development. Leeteuk always like to touch. He wasn’t very particular, human or humanoid, there was few employees that haven’t been harassed by the man in some way. It was normal, unfortunately.

But this was different.

He didn’t like this.

Bile churned in his stomach.

"Is it true what they say about Haru men? Hot blooded, robust, and built for tough work," the man's voice turn interested, "I'll admit, this all was a gamble. I didn't know what I was going to receive. But sometimes I'm amazed by my own quick thinking,"Leeteuk praised himself, caressing Jongin’s neck again, drawing closer so that Jongin now felt the fabric of his pants pressed against the side of his face.

Anger bubbled within him.

"Servant Kim, I want you to remember how much of a privilege this is for someone like you," Leeteuk's foot nudged the identification bracelet around Jongin’s wrist on the floor, "to work for me. Not many are awarded it especially a humanoid like you-”

A knock came from the study door.

Leeteuk stepped away and to address the interruption, “Come in.”

Mr.Wu opened the door and bowed, “Pardon my interruption Master Park, but your two o’clock arrived early.”

“That man has always been impatient,” Leeteuk hissed, sitting regally back in his chair.

“Wu take servant Kim, send him down for stable duty,” Leeteuk waved them away.

"And Kim, if I hear that you take another servants punishment again, I'll make you wish that you didn't," Leeteuk’s pleasant tone did nothing to hide the threat underneath.

Jongin bit the inside of his cheek as he exited the room.

The stables were right outside of Leeteuk’s study, easily seen from the many windows in the room. Leeteuk liked to watch, and he could do little about that.

He was a servant now.

He had been one ever since being handed over to Leeteuk.

The tight collar around his neck halted any thought of escape and after being classified as a humanoid, he was treated less than dirt.

Humanoid sounded wrong.

In exodus people were classified as two things: human and human descended. Although humans vastly outnumbered the human descended, there was a good number of descendants to be accounted for in the system. He himself was classified of human descent due to his abilities. But this term wasn't strictly used for people with abilities; in more general terms, it was also used to classify male carriers and female progenitors; a common anomaly that appeared once humans left earth to the vast reaches of the universe.

From day one, Leeteuk had singled him out and made his life miserable under the guise of being a concerned ‘owner’. His shifts were ever changing to keep him bordering on sleep deprivation, the food he was given was tasteless and repetitive to keep him thin to the point that his ribs were visible, and his tasks were different every week; given the household’s high turnover, this meant that Jongin never had the opportunity to grow close to anyone.

During the last year and some months, his only constants were Kris and Leeteuk himself.

Leeteuk wanted to break him down.

Leeteuk wanted him and hated the fact that he wasn’t succeeding and was getting impatient.

The man was foolish to think that he’d break. If he was to be a servant, he'd be the best one anyone had seen.

Though Jongin knew that constantly evading Leeteuk wouldn't work forever.

He needed to escape.

Stable duty was the same as always; move hay, feed the horses, wash the horses, wash the stables, remove waste, take a small break, and repeat. And all of this done under the heavy haze of his ‘master’.

Oh, how he hated this planet.

After that fateful day when he was separated from Taemin and Mark, Mina and her men had thrown him to Leeteuk's feet and fled after arriving on the planet of Bonam.

He had never heard of Bonam, which meant that it was too far away from the Exodus star system to matter to the empire.

Which also implied that the planet didn’t follow the federation's laws.

Jongin barely remembered he was a prince these days.

Everything on Bonam was exaggerated and inverted. The Highlands, or the city, was a concrete atrocity with buildings so high it blocked out the sky on a good day. The Highlands was only for the rich and wealthy, the extreme of this type were the only ones permitted to possess property in the grasslands before the city, the only patch of green present on the planet (imported from a farming colony nearby).

The wealthy ran everything in Bonam; from government to employment, nothing could be done without the input of the elites. Leeteuk was a high-ranking member, which made Jongin's escape plan complicated.

Behind the Highlands, sat the Lowlands, or the slums. Nestled in the black sanded swampland native to the planet, was the settlement in which most of the planet’s inhabitants lived and worked, laboring to make the life of the Highland residents easier.

He would often hear about the struggles of those in the Lowlands, and it made him wonder how a planet could function with such a disparity.

A week passed, and Jongin was finally relieved of stable duty and moved to linen duty.

His favorite.

Not because he enjoyed the fresh clean scent of clean sheets, though he did enjoy it. Linen duty was one of the few tasks that granted him access to most of the rooms in and outside of the household compound.

Which gave him the opportunity to observe and plan.

First stop was the kitchen and dining rooms, where he gathered dish towels and cloth napkins. It also was where he noticed the new hire Mr.Cho had, which would lead to weeks of exclusive training and reduced supervision of the dining room passageways. Plucking the towels from the kitchen, he found that Hoyoon’s replacement was a nervous meek young man, that might need more time to learn his trade than Mr.Cho had expected, if going by the man's frown.

Jongin grinned to himself has he left the room, slipping a butter knife into the folds of the various linens in his basket.

He found that the cutlery was the perfect width to fit in between the joints of his collar and loosen it.

He could almost jump for joy. Figuratively and literally, his leg was almost healed leaving him with an ache instead of a limp. And a month back, he even managed teleport again, sure it was only a few inches forward but Jongin sobbed with happiness for hours afterwards.

The various guestrooms only had two fresh towels laid, which meant that Leeteuk wasn't expecting any guest to come by any time soon. So, no extra eyes were around.

On his way to the Master’s quarters, Jongin became more cautious. Most of the other servants milled about in the area, and though it may seem like they weren't watching, the walls had eyes and ears.

Schooling his face, Jongin went about his job mechanically, sweeping up the towels from the rooms of Leeteuk's daughters and the wife Jongin had yet to see.

Slipping into the master bedroom, he intended to do the same…but life had been a bitch lately.

He had thought that Leeteuk was gone for the day.

However, in the master bathtub sat the compound's owner in his full glory.

"Forgive me Master Park," Jongin averted his eyes and bowed backing out of the bathroom, "I didn't know you were here. I'll excuse myself."

He wanted to leave. He had no time or will for Leeteuk's foolishness today.

"Wait Servant Kim,"Leeteuk sat up in the tub, sending rivulets of soapy water onto the floor tile near Jongin’s feet, "hand me that towel, will you?" He pointed at the towel folded on the edge of the tub.

Lazy bastard.

Sighing internally, Jongin placed his basket in the floor and did what he was told.

Making his way to the towel, he felt Leeteuk’s leer.

He should’ve known this would happen.

He was attractive. He wouldn't call himself vain, but he knew this and used it to his advantage sometimes (something Kyungsoo had hated, and something Taemin had weaponized to get them free things).

Even Leeteuk was attractive, in an objective way. But even without the wife, the numerous side paramours and the horribly lopsided power dynamic; he still wouldn't looked Leeteuk's way.

But that seemed to intrigue the man more.

What was more interesting to a man that could have anything than someone that was hard to get?

"Perfect," Leeteuk's purred, "now dry me off," he ordered, stepping out of the tub in his naked splendor knowing that Jongin would obey.

Jongin never thought he could hate a person more.

Bending down, he got on with his task.

It wasn't his first time doing this.

"You know Kim, I saw the sweetest little thing in the tavern last month, I'm thinking about hiring him," Leeteuk spread his arms out as Jongin made his way up, "he reminded me of you a little bit, though smaller, but with the prettiest lips. I bet if-"

"Master?" Kris said from the doorway, his neutral face gazing blankly at the scene before him.

Jongin exhaled in relief.

Kris seemed to be everywhere.

"Excuse me master, but your suit is ready.”

"Oh yes! Bring it here Wu," Leeteuk spared Kris with a smile, shooing Jongin away, " that will be all servant Kim, continue on with your duties."

He couldn’t have left fast enough, fleeing out the room and towards the compound’s washrooms in no time, dumping all the cloths in the washing machine in no time.

As the towels washed, Jongin slipped into his small room in the nearby servant’s quarter.

His room was no bigger than his closet at home, which barely fit himself and his dismal amount of clothes. Quickly locking his door, Jongin shoved his bedroll aside to reach the loose floorboard under it.

He added his butter knife to the stash he hid under the bed.

It was almost complete. He didn’t know how he managed it but within is keepsake he had an additional identity bracelet with a fair amount of credits in it, a change of clothes, small pick locking tools, and a knife.

It wasn’t much, but he needed to leave soon, no matter what the cost.

Leeteuk was getting bolder, and soon enough Kris wouldn’t be enough to stop the man from doing what he wanted.

He owed Kris so much.

Putting everything back in its place, Jongin returned to the washrooms, scoping around to make sure that no one saw him enter his room, especially the compounds cameras.

Unable to do much else, Jongin waited in the washroom’s balcony.

The room was high enough to overlook Bonam’s varied landscape. From where he was, he could see the rest of the grasslands, the sleek metallic sheen of the Highlands soaring above, and a sliver of the murky Lowlands hidden in its shadow.

The bridge connecting both areas was currently full with laborer’s and workers flowing in and out of its checkpoint.The walls that divided the land into two halves were high and without expressed consent and supervision, Lowlanders were prohibited in the Highlands.

Unconsciously, Jongin scanned the crowd for a familiar face, even if he was too far to see anything.

He wanted to find Taemin. He knows that the other man was on planet, he just didn’t know where.

And Mark…he hoped his boy was okay.

Backing away from the balcony, Jongin sighed. He was being unrealistic, the chances of them being reunited was low.

……….

(Elsewhere)

“Please be seated, the imperial address shall commence shortly,” The grizzled voice of Sooman, the academy director, ordered from behind the podium on the auditorium stage.

Bending down onto the rigid plastic of the auditorium chairs, Taeyong kept his posture just as stiff. His junior federation uniform was much too tight to do much else; the material chafed his skin, his tie was choking him, and his trousers were tight.

In all, he was uncomfortable.

But he’ll be damned if he let anybody see it from beyond his second-row seat. He had to look presentable, even if he felt far from it. Especially with the individuals on the stage before him.

This was a status update conference, commemorating the first month of plague stabilization. The number of newly infected had finally ceased and a cure for the victims left in stasis was being worked on.

The most prominent members of the plague effort team were all on stage. Along with his appa, the royal medic, the former royal medic, the minister of public relations, the chief of emergency services, and Mr.Jung (whom he was embarrassed to find out was the much secretive imperial commander and right hand to the emperor).

He hoped he hadn't made an ass out of himself when he met the man.

But the real spectacle of the day and the reason most everyone in the academy was currently congregated in the massive amphitheater, was the presence of the imperial family.

Although the emperor was not present in person, his image was projected in the large screen on stage. The emperor was a busy man. But either way, Taeyong was in awe, the gold and ivory of the emperor’s robe was dazzling.

The only thing more striking was the current crowned prince.

Jaehyun both looked and gave off an untouchable aura as he gazed straight ahead from his perch on a raised dais on the right side of the stage, his brother Mingyu stood stoically at his side in his high general federation suit, having given up all royal titles years ago.

Try as he might, Taeyong couldn’t take his eyes off Jaehyun, not even when the emperor began his speech.

While he had seen Jaehyun in his imperial garb before many times, this was his first time ‘seeing’ him.

From the royal blue of his robes, to the silver circlet buried in his shadowy azure hair, denoting his recently attain status, to the red memorial ribbon pinned to the chest of all the imperial family’s members; a symbol for the lost prince Kai. Jaehyun’s stance was intimidating and his face unmoving, a stark contrast to the almost lethargically laidback man he had met and orbited the last few weeks.

His recent visits to the archive have become a lot more interesting. Jaehyun greeted him regularly now and left his office more often. Sometimes he’d hang around Taeyong while doing his own course work, and others he’d just sleep on the sofa until it was time for both to leave.

The Jaehyun he knew was the opposite of what he was seeing. Which left him wondering.

Taeyong’s scrutiny was abruptly stopped by a pair of almond eyes staring back at him.

He looked away immediately, his heart racing at the thought of getting caught.

‘Maybe he was looking at someone else?’ Taeyong’s thoughts raced.

The prince had no reason to be looking at him, there were thousands of people in the audience.

Peaking back at Jaehyun, he had to look away again.

He had been wrong, the prince’s gaze was heavy on him, and it was making him nervous.

He was so on edge that a nudge on his leg made him jump back in his seat.

"I swear Yongie, if you keep moving that damn leg of yours, I'll scream," a slim hand clamped tightly on Taeyong’s right knee.

Taeyong had to stop from screaming out himself at the pain from the talons digging into his skin.

Turning to his right, Taeyong caught the lovely catlike eyes of his friend Ten.

Well, they were much more beautiful when they weren't intent on inflicting bodily harm.

"Sorry," Taeyong stilled, silently thankful to Ten for being a distraction.

Ten (who’s legal name was complicated but beautiful) has been terrorizing him with friendship since their first day at the academy three years ago, when the younger man had latched onto him during their freshman campus tour. At the time he just went along with it, it wasn't like he knew anybody at the academy, but surprisingly enough they stayed good friends.

Ten like everyone else, was dressed in his federation uniform; but unlike his own yellow lined suit in accordance with his strategist and leadership major, Ten’s was purple for communications.

“It’s fine. I’m just bored,” Ten’s glower softened, dropping his head onto Taeyong's shoulder "this is so boring."

"It's…important,"Taeyong tried to sound interested.

"Yeah...right," Ten derided.

Taeyong muffled a giggle as Ten's lashes fluttered at his neck.

"Why isn't Yuta here?" Ten's pout could be heard in his tone, "he should be here suffering with us."

“He has a test today, the whole engineering department is excused,” he said resting his cheek on Ten’s head.

The emperor was droning on at this point.

"Whoa…the prince looks scary," Ten shivered, bringing Taeyong's arm around him, “look at him,” Ten whispered in his ear.

Taeyong shook his head. Ten was being ridiculous.

Though when Taeyong finally gained the nerve to look back at the prince, his aura did seem darker and his eyes were still trained in his direction.

‘Is he still looking at me?’ The question rushed past his mind before he shook it off.

Now he was being absurd.

"You know, I heard they found him passed out drunk last Friday in the dreamy lounge," Ten played with the cuff links of Taeyiong’s suit, most likely trying to get them off so that he can take them for himself.

The thief.

And everything he had said was a lie.

Jaehyun had spent Friday night working overtime, to keep the archive open for him. He had thought he found a lead to Taemin's whereabouts, but it ended up being a false. The preceding break down he had in front of Jaehyun was humiliating, but the prince was kind enough to give him his space, although he had no clue what was happening.

They both left the archive at around three in the morning.

"I don't think that’s-"

"Mr. Kim, Mr. Li," Professor Do’s velvety voice beckoned from behind them," this isn't recreation time, so both of you sit up and pay attention," the professor proceeded to pry them apart.

"Sorry," both he and Ten said at the same time, sufficiently chastised as they shared a look.

Soon enough the conference was over, thankfully. Feeling Professor Do’s disapproving glare at the back of his head was becoming unbearable.

"Yong, you want to go bother Yuta at his dorm?" Ten once again wrapped himself around Taeyong as they stood up.

"Raincheck? I'm going to dinner with my family tonight,"Taeyong answered, pulling them away from the area as fast as he could before professor Do had an embolism.

"Aww," Ten muttered dejected, "fine, but we're still going out on Saturday, you can’t flake on us again," Ten peered up at him with not so innocent eyes, "we know where you sleep, remember that. Now deposit me by the entrance please."

Neither of his closest friends know of his detours to the archive.

He never found the right time to tell them.

After dropping Ten off, Taeyong veered into the theater intent on getting backstage where his appa should be.

Upon entering backstage, Taeyong waded through and past throngs of people until arriving to a rather desolate area, where his arm was seized by a strong grip.

Having grown up where he did, Taeyongshrugged the hand off and rounded in on the stranger with his fist held high.

“Get your fuc-," Taeyong pulled back once realizing who he was about to threaten.

The sharply dressed imperial guard was stupidly tall, intimidating, and high ranking as he was dressed in Jaehyun’s colors.

Shit.

Taeyong hesitated, he could go to jail by just breathing menacingly in the man’s direction. Not that he thought that guy feared him at all; their size and height difference was noticeable.

"Stand down Johnny, I know him," Jaehyun spoke up smoothly right as Taeyong felt a pressure on his shoulders.

"Jae- your highness!" Taeyong pulled away and bowed.

"It’s fine Taeyong," Jaehyun helped him up from his position, "not that I need to know, but why are you back here? And where did your friend go?" He asked, his sharp eyes past Taeyong’s shoulders behind him.

What friend?

"My appa is part of the medical engineering team, he said to meet him back here. Did I need a badge to be here? I’m sure I have my ID somewhere," Taeyong padded his pockets for his ID and pulled it out. He wasn't sure why he needed to explain himself, but he might as well finish, "and I came here alone."

“There’s no need to show me that Taeyong," Jaehyun gently pushed his hand away, a dimple threatening to appear as the prince looked like he wanted to laugh.

"Oh…," Taeyong groaned inwardly. How many times was he going to embarrass himself in front of this man?

"And is your appa, Captain Kim perhaps?" Jaehyun tilted his head curiously.

"Yes, have you seen him?"

"Just around the corner with Lieutenant Jung," Jaehyun pointed out, ushering him to the direction, "I think you should hurry; Captain Kim doesn't look happy. I can show you the way?" Jaehyun said next to his ear.

How did he get so close?

Taeyong felt a bit exposed under the prince's gaze and considering that the prince knew that he was staring earlier he felt faint.

He needed to get away.

"T-thanks," Taeyong started, twisting his head towards Jaehyun, who was looking down at him in full attention.

Taeyong’s mind went blank.

Jaehyun was handsome, it was a fact. Sometimes he found himself exploring the prince’s face during his naps in the archive; where he would take in full lips, shapely eyebrows and a strong jaw before backing away and feeling like a creep.

Here, Jaehyun's sharp eyes didn't seem so cold up close, and his hands felt warm at their positions on his elbows.

How did he get closer again?

"...but I'm a sure I can-"

"I see now," Johnny said out of the blue, shaking both he and Jaehyun from their stupor. The guard shifted between them with a steely face before speaking again, "sorry to cut this short but I need to get you home your highness."

"Ah, that is true," Jaehyun said, acknowledging the tall man, as he drew his hands down Taeyong's arms before letting go, "see you later Taeyong.”

Taeyong felt butterflies flutter in his stomach, or was it something else?

"I-I'll be on my way now. Guard. Your highness," Awkwardly gesturing to his side, Taeyong bowed and fled.

As if his day couldn't get any stranger, the sight he was met with when rounding the backstage corner brought him to a halt.

His appa was where he was said to be, but the odd thing was Mr.Jung beside him, and an extremely stressed looking Changmin in between them.

Jaehyun was right, his appa was pissed.

"Appa?" He called out tentatively.

The moment he was spotted, his appa stomped his way to him

"Let's go,"

Him being dragged around seemed like the theme of the day, but he wasn't going to test his appa.

So, after some heavily confused look's thrown Changmin's way (who seemed to be restraining Mr.Jung), he was on his way to dinner.

The shuttle ride to the restaurant was quiet.

His appa had spent the whole ride looking out his window stewing over something.

He was always like this these days.

They sat in a booth near the entrance, as they waited for Changmin to arrive.

Since his appa was still occupied with his own thoughts, Taeyong looked out the window.

The afternoon had been nice in downtown Nova, but once night came it became eerily beautiful.

He might never get used to Opia's visits in the sky. It painted everything with a tinge of red, after a lifetime of having a purple gem as a nightlight, the red was a nice change; though he could do without the crimson remnants of Cas in the sky.

This time the feeling in his stomach was not pleasant.

The silence broke when their food arrived.

"You look nice in your uniform," Jaejoong finally spoke, his mood lifting, "beautiful actually," he added, sipping a spoonful of his soup then giving it an impressed look.

"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself," Taeyong perked up, always enjoying a chance to preen under his appa's compliments.

Jaejoong gave him a tired but sweet smile, "Funny enough, you're the only one of my children that I have seen in his uniform. I should take pictures," his face brightened considerably at the thought.

'Oh please no,' Taeyong whined in his mind, stuffing his face with his steak so that he didn't have to respond.

Last time his appa wanted to take photos, he and Changmin had been stuck under the man's thumb for almost five hours.

Never again, the man was a tyrant.

"Really?"Taeyong asked hurriedly, cutting into his steaming steak fast, "...me? Why is that?"

"I never got a chance to see Changmin in his academy uniform, and Taemin never let me see him in his cause he said it made him look like a janitor."

Taeyong winced. He didn't know that Taemin had taken his janitor jokes so seriously.

He would apologize for that the next time they saw each other. Hopefully there was a next time.

At the thought, his mouth moved before his mind could stop him.

"I miss him appa."

It's been too long since he's heard his brother's laugh, his memory just couldn't agree with how it used to sound like. He feared that he was forgetting Taemin.

Three years going on four didn't seem like a long time, but apparently it was.

The drop of his appa's spoon was harsh to hear.

“Oh my Yongie,” Jaejoong’s face grew turbulent, as he reached over the table to cradle Taeyong’s face

"I miss him too," Jaejoong said, grasping his hand to soothe him, "but know that he's not dead, if that's what you're thinking?"

It wasn't, but his mind often wondered.

There was a good chance that Taemin could be dead. It wasn't like the man had a regular office job, most people knew of the high mortality rate for freelancers.

"How can you be sure?" Taeyong said with a small voice, noticing the rapid change in the man’s disposition.

His appa hid it well, but under his official green uniform and newly clipped hair, his haggard state was clear.

"I know what his death feels like already, and I'm not feeling it now," Jaejoong directed himself back to his soup.

They didn't bring it up often, but Taemin had flatlined two times during his operations after his accident.

He did believe that all this felt much different than that.

"Then why isn't he back?" Taeyong asked desperately.

"I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. If it were solely up to me, I would've been out there looking for him, but I can't leave the plague effort while we've made so much progress," Jaejoong sighed, sagging on his elbows.

A nagging question appeared in his mind.

"Is Mr.Jung helping the efforts also? Why was he at the conference?"

From what he knew, Mr.Jung wasn't part of the plague team.

"Pure formality, he governs Opia, and with the planet time in the sky tonight they-" Jaejoong stiffened, "how do you know Yunho?"

"...He was at the university," Taeyong, he didn't know why but he knew that those were the wrong words to say.

"Why in the hell did you-!" pinching the bridge of his nose, Jaejoong exhaled,"...stop, it's inevitable now Jaejoong," he said to himself before looking back at Taeyong,"I can't tell you what to do. I would just be cautious with that man."

Today was not his day.

"I thought you both knew each other, that's what he said at least."Taeyong explained, playing with the sauce on his plate.

He had eaten everything so fast, that he might now have to order something else when Changmin arrived.

"We’ve known each other all our lives," Jaejoong peered outside, up to the hellish glow of the planet Opia in the sky.

"...so, what happened?" Taeyong knew there was a lot that was being left unsaid.

But like Taemin always told him. Their appa's secrets had secrets, it's best just to accept that they were never going to know them. The only one who might have a clue about all this was Changmin, but the man also hoarded that information close.

"The sky looks beautiful, don't you think?"

His appa sounded everything but pleased at the view.

"Changmin's here," Jaejoong said abruptly.

When Changmin climbed out from his shuttle, he was stunned to see Mr.Jung in the passenger's seat.

The man waved at him.

Taeyong didn't wave back, the questions in his mind racking up too much for him to react even as the car pulled away and Changmin slid into the space beside him.

Afterwards the days passed uneventfully, everyone became busy again, and things went back to normal.

Or as normal as they could be.

Taeyong was currently working nightshift at his part time job at a cafe.

He would say the name, but it was in a long dead language he’d suspect only scholars knew.

The night seemed endless, as he yawned and kept yawning at the cashier counter, counting down the three hours and a half he had left until clocking out.

As normal, the cafe was dead, with only two paying customers. He usually could count on either Ten or Yuta to entertain him, but the two decided to have lives that night and go clubbing.

Clubbing without him.

Not that he particularly wanted to go, but it would've been nice for them to at least pretend he was a fun person and ask him.

"Let's see who cooks dinner for them tomorrow, I'm going to make those lazy assholes starve," He grumbled under his breath, picking up a cleaning cloth once the customers finally scattered.

He didn't mean anything he was thinking, he knew the moment either of the two gave him the 'eyes' that he was going to cave in, like he always did.

Slumping onto his elbows, Taeyong contemplated the grimy countertop and the smell of burnt coffee beans in the air.

Now that the cafe was empty the real work came.

Clean up.

He had to stack up the chairs, broom the floor then mop it, wipe down the tables and counters. take inventory, then tally the credits in the bit machine. But first, he had to find the willpower to do all that.

Sighing, he looked over to the scattered coffee bags that he needed to organize, and the sugar his co-worker’s messy ass left all over the floor along with a yellow liquid he couldn't identify.

'I should sweep first,' Taeyong cringed as his footfalls crunched over unknown substances. When he picked up the broom the cafe door opened, its bell chime loud and clear.

He had forgotten to lock it.

"Welcome, how can I-"

"Taeyong?"

Taeyong's automatic greeting was interrupted by a familiar baritone.

“Jae-?” he said lamely, surprised to find Jaehyun at the other side of the counter.

‘How did he find this place?’ Taeyong could only wonder.

The café was by no means popular in any sense. Aside from a good number of regulars, potential clientele preferred the chain cafe across the street that was completely automated, and not the antiquated themed one he worked in. The place made virtually no money because of the competition. So much so, that he was beginning to think that it was some sort of mafia laundering scheme.

But beggars can't be choosers, and he liked the lack of actual work.

He hoped the prince wasn't too obvious with his entrance into the cafe, he'd hate for the cafe to end on a trending list somewhere. Just imagining the cafe packed made him nauseous.

"Hello, your highness," Taeyong stopped brooming the floor to bow.

He was getting better at the protocol thing.

Jaehyun waved him off, "you know, there's no need to do that when it's just the two of us Taeyong. Or anywhere else really."

"Okay," Taeyong answered unsurely, moving back behind the bit register, "would you like to order anything Jaehyun?"

He would like to be upfront and ask why Jaehyun was in the cafe at all, and know how the hell he found the place, but he couldn't find the words.

"Right," Jaehyun said quite quickly, leaning forward to scan the menu above Taeyong and invading his space.

Taeyong didn't know what to do or what to look at now that the prince was mere centimeters from his face.

This Jaehyun looked much different than the fluffy one at the archive, and the aloof one at the conference.

He would classify this Jaehyun as…sexy.

Much to the detriment of his poor nerves.

Tonight, the prince's jet-black hair was slicked back, and he was wearing an equally dark tailored suit looking ready for a night out.

And he also smelled nice, like vanilla and fire.

A marshmallow.

Taeyong felt warm at the thought.

'Wait? What is he doing here on a weekend night?'

"I'd like an iced coffee, medium sized please?"

Removing himself from under Jaehyun, Taeyong grabbed a cup and a marker waiting for the rest of the order, but was left waiting,"...anything else?"

"That's all," the corners of Jaehyun’s mouth lifted at Taeyong's frown.

"Plain coffee with ice?" Taeyong peeked at the menu board above him.

This couldn't be.

He didn't even know the price of a plain coffee, should he add tax for the ice cubes?

"Exactly," Jaehyun's eyes sparkled in amusement.

The sadist.

"Okay," Taeyong hoped that his distaste for the drink wasn't clear on his face as he reached for the cold brew coffee.

"Will you be adding sugar?" He asked, tapping on a large white container.

"No thank you," Jaehyun shook his head.

"Cream?" He juggled the creamer jug, wishing he could save this situation in some way.

"Nope," Jaehyun ended the word with a pop.

Now he wants to cry.

"Got it," he mumbled out, cringing as he simply added ice to the coffee in his hand.

It felt wrong.

So wrong.

He personally liked his coffee sweet. The closer he felt to a sugar high, the better.

But who was he to judge?

"And we're done," Taeyong grabbed a straw from its dispenser and slinked back to the register.

"Here you go," he slid the drink to Jaehyun's waiting hand, "the bit amount will appear on the screen.”

Hopefully he got the price right, his boss would have his ass if he messed up, especially when serving royalty.

Pulling out a sleek black bit card from his front pocket, Jaehyun swiftly tapped the object on the register before tapping it once more on the tip jar next to it.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that," Taeyong was too slow to push it away, instead getting caught in Jaehyun's grip.

"I wanted to," Jaehyun's said softly, rubbing his thumb along Taeyong's knuckles before letting go, "come sit with me."

"I'm working," He said plainly.

"There's no one else here," Jaehyun motioned to the empty everything behind him.

"T-true," Taeyong admitted, "is your guard going to mind?" Taeyong signaled to the tall beady eyed shadow glowering at him from outside the cafe's entrance.

Pulling open the small employee counter gate, Jaehyun urged him out, "don't worry about Johnny, he takes his job too seriously. He's actually a teddy bear."

‘More like a grizzly bear mama ready to attack.’

Taeyong was aghast.

There were no customers allowed behind the counter. But then again, Jaehyun often acted like rules were mere suggestions.

"Jaehyun you can't just do that-"Taeyong complained, interrupted by a shrug.

"There's no one here to see come on," Jaehyun insisted, gently pulling him from behind the counter.

"There are cameras everywhere," Taeyong’s complaint fell on deaf ears as he let himself be taken.

Why was he allowing this?

"I can see, but I doubt your boss would do anything about this unless he wants to place a complaint on me," Jaehyun mentioned lightly, leading him to a back booth away from his guards prying eyes.

Sliding Taeyong into his seat, Jaehyun slid right next to him.

Before he could ask why, Jaehyun lifted a placating hand.

"Johnny can read lips."

That still didn't explain how close the other man was, their shoulders and thighs were practically branded together now. The fabric of Jaehyun's suit made the hair of his arm stand up as he tried to fix himself further from the prince, who was taking in every detail of his coffee cup.

"I've never been to a vintage coffee shop before," Jaehyun took an appreciative sip of his drink,"…andyou make good coffee Taeyong, I might come here more often."

"Please don't-" Taeyong's mouth snapped before he could say more.

"Don’t what?” Jaehyun stretched his arm along the back of the stall, smoothing down the silk length of his tie as his brow cocked with interest.

"Don’t come by again,” he faltered.

Jaehyun’s smile widen.

“I mean-your you …and if somebody sees you coming in here, they’ll want to come in also…,” Taeyong felt his cheeks heat up.

He wasn't explaining this very well.

“Oh, I see it now,” Jaehyun nodded in understanding, before whispering to him scandalized, “with how much I’ve heard you fuss over your academy work, I never took you for being lazy Taeyong.”

He wasn’t lazy.

He just didn’t want more people around, which meant more orders and more work.

He quite liked his bare minimum paycheck and didn’t want his lifestyle to change.

Maybe he was a little lazy.

“I’m not lazy!” Taeyong shouted, pushing at the other man’s chest.

He stilled, “…s-sorry.”

The inky silk of Jaehyun’s shirt was softer than it looked.

“It’s okay,” Jaehyun said between peals of laughter, holding Taeyong’s hand at his chest, “how about we strike a deal?”

The prince’s hands were like velvet but firm in the way they refused to let him go.

‘I hope I’m not blushing again,’ Taeyong thought, suddenly finding the napkin dispenser very interesting.

“You see, I like your coffee Taeyong and now I’m not willing to give it up-”

“It’s just coffee and ice…,” he mumbled.

“Yes, that it is. Do you know how hard it is to find a simple drink anymore? It’s really good,” Jaehyun said wistfully, “but by the faces you have been making at it, you don’t share the sentiment," Jaehyun looked at him knowingly.

There go those damn dimples, making his resolve grow weak.

He was confused.What was the prince trying to do here?

Taeyong slumped, "Was I that obvious?"

"Completely," Jaehyun pinched lightly at the skin of Taeyong’s trapped hand.

"I’m sorry then," Taeyong apologized playing nervously with the fingers of his free hand, "it's just...how can you drink something so bitter?"

"I don't know. I might have gotten used to it," Jaehyun responded nonchalantly, finally freeing Taeyong to reach for the bitter drink in question.

"Anyways, aside from wanting coffee, I came here for your help, " Jaehyun stated, sipping some more on his distressing iced coffee, as he dug into his pockets pulling out a grey HOLOrecorder, “I found this, and I would like your help in seeing if we can trace something from it," Jaehyun placed the item on the table before them.

Taeyong was surprised that the other knew what he was doing with the monitors in the archive.

"H-how do you know?"

"I was looking at your monitor last week while you were...indisposed,"Jaehyun answered, having the decency to look apologetic.

That was a much nicer way of putting things, because, in reality, he had been all out sobbing under the monitor table for hours the day he had thought he found Taemin.

"Ah that…what do you need me to do Jaehyun?"

For the first time that night Jaehyun was the one that looked uncomfortable, going as far as to check around the café before moving in closer to Taeyong.

The prince was hanging onto his shoulder now. But going by the devastated look on Jaehyun’s face, he seemed like he needed the support.

"You know about my brother Kai, right?" Jaehyun asked timidly, his hand twitching around his coffee cup.

Everyone in Exodus knew about former Crown Prince Kai. The streets of every planet in the system were awash with his customary colors of red and gold for years, before the emperor made his final decision and declared his heir dead.

"Yes, I do. May he rest in peace," Taeyong thought those were the right words to say until he saw Jaehyun's face twist.

"Y-yes- thank you," Jaehyun coughed,"...I don't know if you knew this, but Professor Do used to be his fiancé."

"No, I didn't," Taeyong lied.

Everyone knew about professor Do and his almost chance at becoming the imperial consort or more aptly named, the next High King. Many thought he was dumb for rejecting the prince, but Taeyong thought differently.

He couldn't imagine being in Professor Do's position and having all the expectations and responsibilities that came with it. Nor did he want to.

He liked his quiet life, and he planned on it staying that way; with the goal of leading a small ship with a small crew doing something menial, finding someone, having a few kids, then retiring.

Simple.

"Well, he was, and he was also one of the last people to see my brother alive," Jaehyun’s face fell into one he knew too well.

It was strange how similar their situation was.

"Did professor Do tell you anything?" Taeyong asked, gathering the recorder and toying with its resolution.

"Kyungsoo didn't tell me much, but he did say that my brother might have left for the new colony Thea without telling anyone. I then went to Thea and retraced his step as best I could and found this HOLOrecorder by his abandoned ship."

"Have you watched the footage already?"

Jaehyun nodded, "yes, I just don’t know what to make of it. I need another pair of eyes.”

"Ok, then let's watch the footage...but first," Taeyong stopped the prince from pressing play.

"What?"

"Why come to me? You have an army at your beck and call, with state of the art everything. They could easily do a tracing.”

"If only I could trust them Taeyong," Jaehyun stated tensely, pressing play without any other preamble.

He wondered what that was about?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are really appreciated, i want to see what you all think!
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Dubious consent and physical harm to a child.

.........

"Lee!” a shriek rang out loud above the clang of machinery and hisses of hot metal, “Off the line!”

Taemin looked towards the bellowing figure in shock. Mr. Tang the first shift supervisor, stared him down, tapping away wildly in his tablet.

"Sir please, I can do-!" Taemin's arm shook under the weight of the scolding hot sprocket held in his clamps. Taemin's grip eventually failed, dropping the scolding metal onto the floor, and breaking it.

Yang's neck reddened with fury, "I said get out Lee! You're useless today!"

Taemin froze.

This had been the third time this week that he couldn't keep up with the assembly line. He didn't know if he was falling sick (hopefully not, he couldn't afford it), but his arms were weak, and his ever-worsening eyesight wasn't making things better. Although his eye was offline, it would create random calculations that were more bothersome than helpful. It needed an update, but without the tools to perform the update himself, he was afraid that he might go blind again. If any of his bosses were to find out, he would be deemed disabled, a death sentence in the unforgiving world he was on.

“Lee!” Mr. Yang shouted again, pacing his way towards Taemin's station, and Taemin jumped in attention.

“I said get out!” Mr. Yang grabbed him by the arm. Taemin was too tired to push him off.

“But Mr. Yang I can-,” Taemin's pleas fell onto deaf ears.

“Shut up! I want you out, now!” Mr.Yang pulled him away from the assembly line, sending him crashing to the nearest wall. None of his co-workers paid the commotion any mind.

“For your insubordination, you will not receive any pay this shift, and you will be pulling double shifts at the tavern indefinitely!” Mr. Yang growled, his haggard face the harshest Taemin had ever seen it, "Now out! I don't want to see your face!”

Taemin promptly left the assembly line, not wanting to humiliate himself even further. Entering the employee locker room, he gathered his things in a rush, his mind whirring at a million miles per second. Since his usual second shift had been taken away, he would have to drop Mark off early at Suho’s. Thankfully, the boy got out soon.

Ignoring Mr. Yang, who was still spitting acid his way, Taemin stomped his way outside, in the direction of the junior worker’s facility.

Minutes ago if someone had asked if his day could get worse. He would've told them no.

That was a lie.

As if time had slowed, Taemin's footfalls faltered as he saw Mark struggling against his shift supervisor’s hold on his shirt over by the facility entrance, his tear stained eyes wide with fright. The man was three times Mark's size, and notorious throughout the Lowlands for treating the junior workers horribly. The sharp clap of the supervisor's hand meeting Mark's cheek, spurred Taemin into action.

"Hey!" Taemin shouted, effectively catching the supervisor's attention, who’s hand was poised to deal another blow.

"Take your hands off my kid!" Taemin pushed the man, hauling Mark to his side, "his day is finished. Yours isn't and I don't see you doing your job."

Taemin pointed to the factory, as the man's face twisted knowing that he was right.

“Waste of my time anyways,” the supervisor tsked, spitting at Taemin's feet before turning back inside.

He fucking hated this place.

Taemin waited for the supervisor to reenter the factory, before gathering Mark's still sobbing body up in his arms.

"It’s going to be alright,” Taemin rubbed Mark’s back, kissing the side of the boy’s red splotchy face buried in his neck.

“We’re going home,” Taemin reassured, shouldering his way through the crowd of parents gathered around the front of the facility. Anger filled him, the group had done nothing to try and help Mark but muttered amongst themselves about his insolence in confronting the infamous supervisor.

"Talk all you want. He’s doing the same to your kids.”

That was it. He needed to find a way off the planet, to somewhere he and Mark could live in some sort of peace. If he was exhausted, and he couldn’t imagine how Mark felt.

‘But what about Jongin?’ Taemin’s thoughts trailed off as he arrived home, placing Mark lightly onto his bed.

Taking a moment, Taemin swallowed the lump at his throat that had been developing since he had been kicked out of first shift. Burying his emotions for the time being, Taemin grabbed an ice pack from his small fridge, his mind racing with everything he had to do before his double shift started. The first, and most important being making sure Mark was fine. This incident with Mark and that particular supervisor wasn’t new. Mark was terrified of the man. Taemin had tried his best to make sure that Mark took only the shifts with the nicer supervisor, even going so far as to bribing one of the other managers, but apparently that wasn't in the cards today.

Shuffling onto Mark’s bed, Taemin wrapped himself around the boy’s still shaken form hiding between his mountain of pillows, his hand gripping tightly on the stuffed lion Donghyuk had gifted him.

"Let me see your face Mark?" Taemin asked, gently pulling the boy into his arms, rocking him as he pried Mark's fingers from his face. The sight of Mark's red marked face filled him more with fatigue than it did anger; It was very telling about how weary he was. What was the use in getting angry if he was powerless, and it would most likely happen again?

Placing the ice on Mark's cheek, Mark sagged against him as his shaking subsided; and after a while, Mark wiggled away returning to the comforts of his blankets.

Taemin sighed, roaming his hand over the boys back soothingly.

"What can I do to make things better?"

"Nothing," Mark whined, curling deeper into his blankets, "you can't do anything Tae-appa."

Taemin’s heart both fluttered and sunk with dread.

"I can try though. I don't like when my little lion is sad.”

Mark didn't give him much of a reaction.

'Time for the big guns,' Taemin thought, reaching for his secondhand communicator (with a cracked screen) and dialed Suho's number. He was going to have to borrow the man's hell child (the person who had cracked his communicator screen), while also asking if the man could babysit Mark for the night.

He felt bad for calling in a favor on the man's only day off.

Taemin sighed again, as he waited for Suho to pick up.

"Suho-"

"I'm on my way. I got my sunflower and some food. Go get ready for your shift," Suho cut in, leaving Taemin speechless.

"O-okay…," Taemin breathed out.

"We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thank’s Suho," Taemin hoped his sincerity could be heard through the line. It wasn't fair that a person like Suho had been trapped on this shit planet.

Apparently a few minutes were exactly two, and soon enough his front door was opened by Suho, using the key Taemin had given him in case of emergency. Not even a second later Donghyuck sped past him with a jumbled 'hello' before shooting under Mark's covers.

"Why aren't you getting ready Taemin?" Suho said, placing the bowl of food in his hands on the small kitchen table.

“How?-”Taemin’s mind was a little slow on the upkeep.

"Donghyuck saw what had happened at the facility, and begged me to come over," though Suho frowned, the was a fond glow in his eyes when mentioning his son, "and also, someone told my friend, who told me about what happened to you during first shift. So, I thought I should be here for you."

"I…," Taemin froze. His body disobeyed him, too many thoughts were going on at once.

He was panicking.

Noticing this, Suho placed his hands on Taemin's shoulders. His handsome face sympathetic was, as he looked Taemin in the eyes, "you need to start getting ready Taemin. And while you do that, I'll heat up the food so that you can eat. Nod, if you understand?"

Still incapable of much speech, Taemin nodded his eyes trailing to the two pairs of small legs poking out of Mark's sky blue sheets. The scene made his heart melt. To be honest, Donghyuck was only a hell child seventy percent of the time.

"...the kids are fine Taemin, go," Suho guided him to the direction of the bathroom.

Knowing that the kids were fine, Taemin let himself be moved. He needed some time to clear his mind anyways, he wasn't going to give up such a rare opportunity.

The bathroom was as small and cramped as always, but without Mark's usual knock past the ten minute mark (the boy didn't like to be alone for long periods of time), Taemin allowed himself to think.

He needed to focus on getting off the planet, problem stood, that all the tech that would be useful for said leave was in the Highlands. The heavily surveillanced, heavily guarded Highlands. And even if he found a ship, where would he find the time execute any plan?

"Damn it," Taemin slammed his fist on the cracked tiles beside his head. Breathing in and out, he watched the water swirl at his feet, as his eyes pricked with tears.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could live like this?

Every day he worked endlessly, for what? What end goal was there? It wasn't like he would get to retire in a nice home when he gets older. He would most likely work for the rest of his life and die on the assembly line, Mark would most likely do the same, and any kids he had, and then their kids, and so on. What kind of life was that? And why was he accepting it?

Wiping down his face, Taemin stepped out the shower minding where he was positioning his feet, as his eye momentarily lost connection. Just another thing he had to deal with it.

Out of the bathroom, he changed into his tavern wear, and ate quickly while chatting with Sohu about his day before grabbing his checkpoint pass and satchel.

"Alright, I'm leaving Suho, do you have everything you need?" Taemin asked, slipping on his boots before heading to Mark's bed.

"Yes," Suho answered, adjusting the only HOLO screen in the shack, searching for something the boys could watch.

The boys were now huddled together, talking about what they would be doing the next day in Suho's class.

"Mark, I'm leaving," Taemin announced again, slipping onto the bed and wrapping himself around Mark, batting away Donghyuck's pinching fingers.

Mark perked up surprised at his words, "so soon Tae-appa?" Mark looked crestfallen, playing somberly with the ID bracelet on his wrist, "will I see you when you get back?”

Taemin's heart shrunk, there were days where Mark would latch onto him and not leave his side.

"You'll be asleep when I come back, but you'll see me in the morning right when you wake up. Now give me a goodbye kiss," Taemin said. After feeling a soft kiss on his cheek, he planted his own on Mark’s head.

“I want one to?!” A shout came from his side.

Taemin groaned inwardly as Donghuck clambered onto his lap, his sharp knee bones digging into his thighs as Donghyuck shoved his hair away from his own forehead.

“Me too, old man,” Donghyuck insisted, shoving his head in Taemin's face.

Rolling his eyes, Taemin indulged the kid and kissed his forehead also.

"Don't I get a kiss also?" Suho pursed his lips, as they stood under the threshold of the front door.

"No," Taemin pushed the ridiculous man away, "thank you again for this Suho."

Suho's eyes brightened, a good-natured smile gracing his face, "don't worry about it Taemin. Stay safe at work "

"I will."

It was just past the planet's equivalent of mid-day, when the dual sun's were high in the sky and almost everyone in the Lowlands were heading toward their second shifts.

Part of the herd, Taemin raced down to the Lowland market square in order to catch the trolly for the Highlands checkpoint. At the checkpoint, rubbed his hand along the strap of his satchel, Taemin calmed himself as he waited for his turn. The checkpoint always made him nervous. On the detachable bridge, three rows of guards scanned IDcards/bands, verified working documents and permitted the exact time as for which each Lowland inhabitant is allowed in the Highlands. Mina's fake identity for him has always been solid, but there was always a hint of doubt in his mind about how long the lie could hold.

But as he passed through the checkpoint unscathed and the road beneath him turned from black dirt to asphalt, Taemin's previous worries melted and new ones emerged.

Walking down familiar streets to the tavern he worked at, Taemin kept his head to the ground, away from the marbled glossiness of the city above him. Most Lowlanders did. Legal protections were few, and unless you had a powerful boss, one wrong look sent to the wrong person could land you in the labor camps. Labor camps were essentially jail, where you work for no money and are usually condemned for life.

Taemin did not want any of that.

Keeping to the far edges of the sidewalks and side streets, Taemin avoided everyone until reaching the golden handle of the Tavern’s entrance.

The tavern was only one by name, in actuality it was a high-end club; where the more elite in the Highlands met and mingled.

"Good afternoon Lee," greeted the security once he entered. Taemin nodded, walking briskly to the back rooms to his locker. His usual task was to clean up the bar area while the bartender worked. Today he will be working the floor and serving the customers.

The task he hated the most.

With only twenty minutes until opening, Taemin made fast work of changing into his work clothes ( a figure hugging pair of leather pants, a form fitting white shirt that was extra cinched at the waist; a request made by a particular customer).The particular customer that had been asking him the same question every time the saw each other; a question that Taemin might soon answer.

He didn't talk to his coworkers beyond basic platitudes, nor did they try to engage with him; there was an underlying understanding that everyone was only there to perform their tasks and nothing else.

It was a cutthroat world, selflessness was an afterthought for most.

It made him wonder how a person like Suho stayed kind, when he himself felt hollower with each passing day.

Grabbing his order pad, Taemin walked to the main entrance along with other employees to greet the first guests of the upon opening.

Taemin sighed when he bowed. The evening Just started and he already knew that it was going to be a long one. And he had been right in his assumption. Although he had been working both the floor and the bar; Taemin had been called into the kitchen’s to help the waitstaff, he had been sent to clean up one of the VIP booths because the party that had been there found it beneath them to clean up after themselves, he had to escort more than three drunk patrons to their shuttles, the bartender kept mixing up orders and he was the one to suffer the repercussions and reprimands of this shift supervisor twice, and he did all this while only having eaten a lonely bowl of rice during his break.

But Taemin would’ve gladly repeated the previous happenings thrice over, than be where he was now.

The moment that his ‘regular’ patron entered the tavern, Taemin had been escorted to his side and made to serve him until the man himself relieved him from his duties.

Mr. Park, or Leetuek as he heard some of the man’s friends call him, had begun frequenting the tavern about four months back, and ever since the first day the man had laid eyes on him, he wouldn't leave Taemin alone.

At the moment, Taemin sat on Leeteuk's lap, his eyes glazed over as he tuned out Leeteuk's conversation with his acquaintance's. He didn't react when Leeteuk's hand grazed his nipples, nor did he react when the man smoothed into his inner thighs. It wouldn't do to resist Leeteuk or his companion's touches, nothing would be done against it. But Taemin did promptly react when Leeteuk asked for more blossom fruit wine in his cup.

'The patron is always right,' was the phrase his supervisor would constantly repeat during his trainee days, and nothing in his year and a half of working in the tavern has made the phrase false.

"So, have you thought about my offer?" Leeteuk's sickeningly pleasant voice cut through the white noise in Taemin's mind, the man's hand drifting over Taemin's hips as he waited for an answer.

Leeteuk's wife was seated next to them. Though with how glazed over her lovely brown eyes were, Taemin could guess that she was high off Ash. A hallucinogenic powder mined from one of the planet's moons, that flowed abundantly around the room. He's never taken the ash, but he had been told that the sensation was like the feeling of orgasmic fire. Or something else, considering how lethargic her movements were.

Taking a moment, he thought over Leeteuk's question. Over the course of the last few weeks, Leeteuk had been asking Taemin to work for him. He never mention what the position actually was, but Taemin wasn't naive enough to think that the proposition was of the purest heart. Leeteuk most likely only wanted to fuck him in the comfort of his own home. Nonetheless, Taemin was at the point where he truly didn't care about Leeteuk's baser intentions. If sex was what the man wanted, then so be it. The act itself ceased to have any meaning or pleasure for him almost five years ago.

He could barely remember the sound of Minho's voice now.

Taemin exhaled, dispassionately following the hand on his thigh as it traced patterns over the fabric of his pants.

"I'm not sure," Taemin answered somewhat truthfully.

"It shouldn't be such a hard decision…," Leeteuk said politely, though his pursed lips and darkened eyes said the opposite.

Especially when Taemin gave his reply.

"I have a son, I can't leave my job's so suddenly Mr. Park."

Leeteuk visibly paused, his other hand stilling on their journey up to the base of Taemin's spine. Leeteuk's proceeding smile came off as more of a grimace.

"You have a child?" Leeteuk blinked, "it doesn't look like it?" Leeteuk palmed the expanse of Taemin's stomach.

Taemin grew uncomfortable with how Leeteuk was looking at him. He had believed at first that Leeteuk’s grimace was from displeasure.

It wasn’t.

"Yes, I do. So I don't know if I can accept your offer."

If he were able to flee he would've done so the moment a considering look came upon leetuek's face.

"Actually you having a child wouldn't be too much of a problem, I have various working families under my employment. By the way how old is he, if I may ask?" Leeteuk's hand didn't leave their place, instead his thumb roamed the fabric over Taemin's abdomen.

Taemin’s stomach lurched.

What was Leeteuk getting at?

But though he didn’t like the question, Taemin's mind wasn't at its freshest, his day had been long and it was still barely over.

"Six dual cycles old," Taemin converted Mark’s age for Leeteuk, who nodded briefly in understanding.

"I see."

Taemin wasn't sure if he liked Leeteuk knowing about Mark's existence.

"I also see that you're not exactly comforted by my words. I'll be sure to change your mind next time I come around," Leeteuk finally let go of him, reaching for his glass, "refill this with more wine,would you?" Leeteuk handed him the cup and shooed him away.

It was a dismissal and Taemin was happy to finally leave, glancing at a nearby clock on his way to the bar.

Just a few more hours until he's home.

..........

Jongin's arms burned with exertion, and not even the cloth on his head could hold back the sweat that dripped into his eyes, as he scrubbed the floor before him. He had been cleaning the floors of the main rooms all day. At the moment he was finishing up the floors of Leeteuk’s private entertainment den.

For the last few weeks, Work had been going smoothly for him. Leetuek had been busy in and out of the home, so he was not around for most of the day; which Jongin was thankful for. And his teleportation has been going well also, he could now transport himself more than a few feet, but his abilities were still not where they should be. But hopefully soon, he would be able to transport himself off and away from the Park compound.

He still had no solid plans on how exactly he was going to make his escape, but he managed to find two more ID badges for Taemin and Mark if he found the-for when he found them, Jongin corrected himself. He had to hold onto the hope that they were close by, or else he’d have nothing. Mark must be so big by now, it hurt Jongin that he was missing so much.

"Kim? there you are.”

Onyx patent leather shoe’s entered Jongin’s sight.

“Master Park,” Jongin halted his cleaning, but kept his head to the floor. He kept still as Leeteuk carded his fingers through his hair, and down to the collar around Jongin’s neck and pulled it up, making Jongin look at him.

Jongin frowned.

From the corner of his eye, Jong could see Kris standing watch near the door, as always.

“...so much fire in you still Kim,” Leeteuk smirked at his expression, pulling a little too harshly at Jongin’s collar, “Anyways, I have business in the Highlands later. I will be taking you and Wu with me, you-,” Leetuek halted once his communicator chimed.

“Hello?” Leetuek sidestepped around Jongin, knocking over some of the cleaning tools Jongin hand meticulously arranged, as he headed out the room.

“If you keep acting like that, Master is just going to push more,” Kris said, helping Jongin with his cleaning supplies and placing them back into the catty Jongin had brought, “if he’s letting you go to the Highlands, it’s showing a great deal of trust.”

Jongin placed the last few products and was ready to leave, Kris’s hand on his shoulder stopped him, his face slightly worried as he looked down at Jongin, “don’t mess this up for us.”

“Who-” Jongin started but Kris’s hand waved him away.

“I know about the extra badges you have underneath your bed cot. And the numerous other items you have Jongin.”

Jongin grew tense, the hand on his shoulder growing heavy before easing.

“Who do you think left them for you to take? I want out to, but I won’t let you ruin this for us because you can’t hide your emotions,” Kris let him go, walking to where Leeteuk had disappeared to, “We expect you at the front gate in an hour.”

Jongin was left speechless. Was there more to Kris than being a servant who blindly carried out Leeteuk’s bidding?

Shrugging it off, Jongin made his way to his quarter’s.

Later found Jongin dressed in his official uniform, with Leeteuk’s royal blue family seal over his right breast pocket as they made their way to the Highlands. There had never been another family seal upon him other than his own, it was such a trivial thing, but Jongin felt like he had officially lost his old identity. He guessed that he should also feel something more intense than indifference about that fact also.

As their shuttles stopped, he and Kris exited the vehicle before Leeteuk did.

Looking around, Jongin was left...wanting.

This was his first foray into the Highlands since he was dumped on the planet, and it should have reminded him of his home planet; with its high buildings and technology…. but it didn't. It lacked the thrum of life Nova-x had. The metallic marvel of buildings with their marbled coatings, were as fake and as vapid as the people allowed to inhabit the Highlands. In all, Bonam was far from a beautiful planet, its most picturesque landscape was hoarded by the planets wealthy, leaving the poor to live in dirt; and the only thing separating the two was a hunk of cement and metal.

It was a planet fitting for the ugliness of its people.

‘Now that wasn’t nice,’ Jongin’s own princely training tried to reprimand him. But he didn’t regret his thoughts, he very much meant them.

‘When was the last time you had a pleasant thought though?’ Jongin pondered, rubbing at the phantom weight at his neck. He was without his collar, the practice wasn't necessarily legal on paper, although he'd seen some of Leeteuk's acquaintances have one of her servants fully bound. But the lack of restraint didn't mean that he could break free, Kris was an ever-present figure at his back. He hadn’t had the chance to talk to Kris and clarify what the other man had confessed to him, but Jongin won’t give up until he found the time.

With the visit to the Highlands, Jongin had thought that they’d be visiting an office of some sort and wait on Leeteuk as he did what ever it is that he did for a living. Imagine his surprise when they arrived at a bar.

“Now when we enter, you both shall only speak when spoken to only by me, you are not to serve anyone else but me, nor are you to look at anyone in attendance in the eye,” Leetuek stated, arranging himself to leave the shuttle they were on, “Understood?”

Although Leeteuk had announced the instructions as if they were for both him and Kris, but they all knew that Leeteuk’s words were for him.

“Yes master.”

“Good,” Leeteuk grinned, “now let’s get moving, I feel like good things are about to come.

Jongin felt the opposite.

……….

'You can do this,' Taemin told himself as he buttoned the top button of his work shirt, ready for the beginning of third shift.

Four days had passed since his last encounter with Mr.Park. The days in between had gone relatively well, Mark was back working under the 'good' supervisor with no new incidents, and he was back on the assembly line and the field for first and second shift.

Now with Mark at Suho's for the night, Taemin finally had time to think again about the situation at hand.

Taemin's mind was still reeling from Leeteuk's continued insistence on hiring him. Leeteuk's intentions were clear, it could be seen on his face, and how he touched him so blatantly in front of his wife. Were this any other situation, on any other planet, any other time when he didn't have a child to raise; Taemin would have already fought Leeteuk's advances off. That was just how his pride was set up.

Well how it used to be set up.

But seeing his little lion grow somber in a way a child normally wouldn't. And seeing his own body morph and breakdown from overwork and malnutrition. Taemin was reaching desperation.

He was going to take the job offer. Sex was just sex. He had shared his body with strangers before for free, what would make this situation any different? At least there was money (barely) and a goal in mind for him this time. Taemin could use his upgraded station to finally get off planet. He needed to get off the planet, for Mark's safety and for his own sanity.

He was going to get this job by any means necessary.

Decided, Taemin had spent the next few minutes perfecting himself in the mirror, ignoring the growing voids that were his own eyes as he fixed his hair.

The moment Leeteuk walked past the front entrance, Taemin quickly seized the opportunity without much thought, as he asked the man for a moment alone.

Now as they walked to the private rooms deep in the tavern maroon walls, Taemin pushed down the nervousness that ate at his stomach. He was going to get this job. And luckily for him, he could make himself cry on demand.

Once the door closed to one of the private rooms, Taemin turned the water works on.

Letting out a shaky breath, Taemin made sure the hiccup in his voice was loud and clear.

"Lee?" Leeteuk asked his hands brushing over Taemin's arms as he turned him around, "why have you brought me here, and why do you cry?" Leeteuk asked, his face a good facade of concern, but Taemin could see the satisfaction in it. Leeteuk knew that he'd be getting what he wanted. But in this game Leeteuk wasn't going to show his hand so early.

Taemin was terribly good at reading people when the need arose. It was a talent really. Men like Leeteuk were all the same.

"I have been thinking about your offer," Taemin heaved, and he willed himself to stay still as Leeteuk's wiped at his tears, "need this job. I just want a better life for me and my child."

"I could give you that,"Leeteuk answered, not looking the smallest bit turned off by Taemin's sniveling, instead backing them both to a nearby wall.

Taemin wasn't surprised by what he felt digging into his lower abdomen. It wasn’t shocking that Leeteuk got off on humiliation and desperation.

"But what are you willing to do for me?" There was a light touch on his chin as Leeteuk guided his face up to meet him.

"Anything."

There was no time to feel shame in what he was doing.

Taemin's mind grew blissfully blank once Leeteuk's chapped lips met his own, with much more force than expected. Soon enough, Leeteuk's overly eager hands tore through the buttons of Taemin’s shirt, as he licked at the skin of Taemin's neck and made his way down his chest.

An insistent knock at the door stopped Leeteuk from venturing any further. Leeteuk snarled as he pushed himself away from Taemin to wrench the door open.

"What!" Leeteuk bellowed.

"Master Park," said an accented voice of a tall man who had entered the room," I'm sorry to interrupt but the Bae's have arrived for your meeting.”

Leeteuk cursed.

The new arrival kept a cool face as Taemin tried to connect the tattered pieces of his shirt back together in one piece.

"Lee," Leeteuk mentioned between tense teeth, "now that you have accepted my offer, my servants will help you through the transition into the household, I’ll also be informing your bosses in the morning. I'm sorry that I have to take my leave so abruptly. We shall continue another time."

At the doorway Leeteuk signaled for someone else to come in, "Servant Kim, you and Wu shall accompany lee to his home to gather his things."

Taemin's mind stalled, at the appearance of the person that had settled beside Leeteuk.

Jongin?

..........

"...excuse me, crown prince?"

A voice called out tentatively from beside Jaehyun, taking him away from the senate hearing in progress before him. A completely unnecessary part of his new role as crown prince if you asked him. But his father was busy, so he had to fill in.

Taking the transmitter from his ear Jaehyun turned to the woman, a press secretary donned with a royal insignia on her right shoulder.

“Speak your peace.”

“The royal advisor has tasked me to tell you that you have both an interview in an hour, and a meeting with the Imperial Treasury two hours after that,” the secretary informed, tapping away at her tablet.

It would’ve been nice for her to look at him while she said that.

“Fine,” Jaehyun stood up from his seat, nodding subtlety a both the senate leader a few rows before him and Johnny next to him, before taking his leave. Jaehyun was beyond grateful for the out, he had been stuck in the senate hearing for two hours, even Johnny had slumped a little from his permanently attentive facade during hour one.

“You may take your leave now, thank you," Jaehyun stated, remembering that he hadn’t dismissed the woman.

"You're welcome, your highness," the nameless woman bowed and scurried away to who knows where.

Aloof was the look, as Jaehyun made his way out of the senate room, bypassing the journalists and senators who had instantly gotten up to follow him. They most likely wanted to ask him about the current plague relief efforts, since his father had been tight lipped about the matter overall.

They were wrong if they thought he had the answers they were looking for. Ignoring them, he continued on his way. It was when they finally reached the shuttle, when Jaehyun let the front drop and slumped into his seat.

"An interview and a damn meeting? This day doesn't end...I hate it..." Jaehyun palmed the middle of his forehead, tapping it repeatedly, only to be stopped by a strong hand.

"Stop hitting yourself Jae, it's not going to make the day pass any faster," Johnny dropped the Prince's hand.

Jaehyun groaned some more on the inside. He took every stupid thing he said to Jongin about his position back. If he could hand everything off to someone else, he would.

But there was no one else, not even Jongin, to give it to.

Opposite of what the public thought about who they deemed “the spare prince”, before becoming the crown prince he hadn’t been completely void of responsibilities. While Jongin was set to govern the whole of the star system, he was to be his brother's other right hand (besides the commander), govern Nova-x, and be co-head of administration in the federation with his older brother Mingyu. All big responsibilities within themselves, something he had actually been looking forward to.

But then everything changed, and Jaehyun didn't know if he could fill his brother's shoes, in both the people's and his father's eyes.

Mingyu didn't really matter. Although his relationship with Mingyu was better than non-existent, but he couldn't say that they were close. Jaehyun was the product of the Emperor's second marriage, and while he was still a legitimate heir, it seemed that not being blood brother's lowered him in Mingyu's eyes. It lowered him in many's eyes. His mother was a kind woman and a well-liked High Queen, but apparently to many in the palace, she was lacking compared to the former High King. And he knew this applied to his father as well. Although his parents have gotten closer during the past years, he couldn't say that they ever loved each other.

He was an observant child.

His mind went back to his oldest brother, and the man's attempt at forging a bond, now that Jongin was gone. Jaehyun felt less than receptive towards it. In the world that he grew up in, everyone's love was conditional, even his parents. One would think he would have more than three good friends with all the people willingly throwing themselves at him at all times. The one person who had always been there for him was Jongin, and now he was gone. Jaehyun didn't know what his brother was looking for and what caused this change of heart. But he couldn't say that he cared. It wasn't his job to make Mingyu feel good about himself.

He had better things to do.

"Jaehyun, are you ready to go?" Johnny asked, placing his hand on Jaehyun’s head, "everything will be alright," Johnny's kind eyes bored down onto him.

The asshole was petting him...Jaehyun couldn't say that he minded it honestly.

"I know,"Jaehyun replied, softly leaning into the touch. He was thankful to have one of his oldest friends near in this strange phase of his life. The Oh family had worked with the imperial family for generations, while Sehun, Johnny's cousin ran the security and detail team for Jongin. Johnny did the same for him.

"So, off to the academy I see,” Johnny tapped on his communicator for Jaehyun’s itinerary, “Weren’t you there just this morning? You have so much interest in your classes lately Jaehyun, especially your Job," Johnny said plainly, looking out his passenger side window, the curl of his smirk clear on his face.

"I have an interview," Jaehyun stated plainly, his brows furrowing at the tone of Johnny’s voice.

“An interview, okay,” Johnny hummed in disbelief, “you can’t lie to me Jae. I saw the picture’s you have of ‘him’ on your tablet," Johnny laughed.

“There is nothing wrong with having pictures of your friends,” Jaehun flipped through his own communicator, already over whatever it was that Johnny was trying to insinuate.

He was not going to fall for Johnny’s bait.

“Sure, but how many pictures do you have of him alone?” Johnny sang, bopping his head to his imaginary song.

Jaehyun hoped that Johnny didn’t catch onto the way his hand twitched at the statement.

But Johnny did, and a wide grin overwhelmed his face, "I can't wait to tell Doyoung about this."

Seriously, why was he friends with this asshole?

"Don't you dare," Jaehyun threatened.

Doyoung, unlike Johnny, shared some classes with Taeyong. He would die if the other knew of his-

His nothing, they were only friends. Potentially close friends. Taeyong understood what he was going through in a way that no one, not even his oldest friends, did. Not that he asked why, but under Taeyong's calm but-manic demeanor was an underlying nervousness Jaehyun had only seen when he looked in the mirror.

A look the he saw quite clearly the last time they had seen each other in the café. After showing Taeyong the surveillance footage from Jongin’s abandoned ship, Taeyong had reacted strangely, asking Jaehyun to leave the café suddenly between stuttered words and without much of an explanation. Three weeks had passed since the incident, and he had neither seen sight nor hair from Taeyong since.

The rest of Jaehyun’s day passed fast, thankfully. His interview had gone well enough, after a small photo shoot around campus, he answered a few shallow questions and then he was off to the treasury meeting which had consumed most of the rest of his day.

Now it was late in the night and instead of taking him home, Johnny had taken him to The Zone club in downtown Nova. Johnny had abandoned him a while ago to prowl the floor for someone to take home for the night, Jaehyun on the other hand, decided to stay solo tonight and admire the views. He normally would have someone or two to keep him company and warm his bed for the night, but equal parts rumors and something else had quelled that action for the past few months. He quite liked being alone also, it was a luxury these days.

In his private booth, high above the club goers where he could see everything and everyone, Jaehyun nursed a drink as he observed the dance floor below him. Masses of bodies melded and writhed together underneath blue lights, as a heavy bass shook the floor below him. In the sea people he spotted Johnny easily, not many could tower over a crowd like he could. Johnny was at the bar talking to a pretty man with cat like eyes, and a face he'd seen before. Lee something from his communication’s course, the same guy who had been wrapped around Taeyong weeks back at the assembly.

Jaehyun narrowed his eyes at the scene.

Lee whispered into Johnny’s ear with a hand brushing over his bicep as they looked to be flirting with one another, but he also kept looking off to the side towards the dancing forms nearby.

Jaehyun followed the gaze, and his mouth grew dry at what he found.

'Taeyong?' Jaehyun's mind blanked when he spotted the man.

The sight of Taeyong at the club was unexpected. From what he had knew Taeyong wasn't the most social of people, and kept his own company most of the time. What was even more unforeseen was how Taeyong looked. Gone was the adorable man he saw on a nearly daily basis; in his place was a kohl eyed Taeyong, who had his hair slicked back, rosy gloss on his lips, and his chest barely concealed by his mesh shirt.

The sight was enough to have Jaehyun’s hand tense around his drinking glass, as they sought to do something else.

Untouchable, intimidating, and cold; would be how he described Taeyong.

He unfortunately, wasn't the only one admiring. Both men and woman all around the room had been following Taeyong’s every move with their eyes, some were even brave enough to approach him. Irritation tugged somewhere inside Jaehyun’s chest, his eyes following Taeyong as he moved through the crowd (while hands randomly grabbed onto his shirt, thighs, and grazed over his chest) with a slightly glazed sheen in his eyes. Taking a better look, Jaehyun could see how sweat flushed Taeyong’s face was.

'Is he drunk?' Jaehyun asked himself, as Taeyong leaned over the bar and ordered something. At the same time, a very handsy bystander almost grabbed Taeyong by the waist, luckily Lee was on the stranger fast, shoving him away from his smashed friend. Even with the altercation behind him, Taeyong tapped on the bar waiting for his drink, oblivious.

Taeyong was unaware of a lot of things, it was something that Jaehyun had noticed early on when meeting the other man. Taeyong didn’t seem to realize the attention he got. He had admirer's everywhere (sometimes he locked up the archives purposely, just to keep said admirer’s away), especially now that Lee went back to batting his eyes at Johnny at the other end of the bar.

Annoyance itched at Jaehyun again as another person emerged and crowded in on Taeyong.

“Why don’t they leave him alone!” Jaehyun hissed, without much thought he got up from his seat, motioning his quiet attendant away as he bounded it down the stairs to the main club area. His eyes never left Taeyong, who's booze glazed eyes searched around looking uncomfortable under the strange man's gaze. Thankfully for Jaehyun, this area of the club was too dark for anyone to recognize him and stop him in his tracks, as he quickly swerved through the dancing mass of bodies until reaching Taeyong's back and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Hey baby," Jaehyun crooned, briefly grazing his nose along the back of Taeyong's neck, staring directly at the man that had been bothering Taeyong. A rush of satisfaction passed through him as the man scampered away.

"Who?-," Taeyong stiffened, turning his head to the side "Jae?" Taeyong said breathlessly, as a light pout painted his face.

Jaehyun wanted to reach out and wipe that frown away, but the other was very drunk and he thought it best not to do so. Taeyong could hardly stand up straight, going by how he rested his body heavily against Jaehyun’s front.

"Taeyong," he smiled down at the man, who's glassy focus made him feel like he was the only person in the crowded club, "did you come here with someone?," Jaehyun asked, absently rubbing his fingers on the mesh fabric encasing Taeyong's waist.

"Where's Ten?" Taeyong asked, owlishly searching around the space.

Although the name Ten wasn't familiar to him, Jaehyun made the connection fast and turned to where he had last seen Lee.

'About to get boned by my best friend,' Jaehyun thought to himself, seeing both Johnny and Lee encased in a rather furious lip lock in a not so darkened corner of the club.

"Jae...," Taeyong twisted himself inside Jaehyun's arms, tucking his head under his chin.

Taeyong’s hair smelled like cherry blossoms.

"...where is he? Ten promised not to leave me after Yuta left with Sicheng," Taeyong mumbled, rubbing his face into Jaehyun's chest, "and he knows how I get when I drink..."

Adorable. Jaehyun melted at the action.

Checking his watch, Jaehyun saw that it was well past midnight and a good time to head out the club. And although he knew where Lee-ten was, he wasn't going to get him. Johnny had earned his leisure time and he wasn't going to interrupt it.

"Taeyong?" Jaehyun pressed his hand onto back of Taeyong's head, "I don't know where your friend is, but let me take you home? Is that fine with you?"

It took a moment but Taeyong nodded.

"I need words," Jaehyun wanted to be sure that Taeyong was clear on what they were doing.

"Yeah, I want to go home," Taeyong said muffled by the fabric of Jaehyun’s shirt.

Jaehyun frowned and he sent a quick message to Johnny on his communicator that he'd be leaving. Taeyong sounded...sad, and it made him wonder of it had to do with that time at the coffee shop.

What did Taeyong see?

"Let’s go then," Jaehyun said, finishing a last message for his shuttle driver to meet him at the front, "are you ready Taeyong?"

Taeyong nodded again, unresisting as Jaehyun placed an arm on his shoulder and began walking them towards the exit. The trek itself normally would've been done in no time, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was walking for two people.

"How much did you drink Taeyong," Jaehyun huffed, adjusting Taeyong more comfortably at his side, as he all but dragged to man to the exit. Taeyong looked small but apparently, he was dense.

"Just one to six shots and a beer...or two," Taeyong answered, his hands playing with the buttons of Jaehyun's shirt, "I know it's a lot. But Ten and Yuta always make fun of me for being a light weight," Taeyong looked up at him, his large doe like eyes begging for understanding.

Jaehyun’s chest stuttered.

Sliding outside, the chilly night hair felt good compared to the smokey nightclub. Taeyong must have felt it to, as he sagged onto Jaehyun completely.

"That feels good," Taeyong hummed.

"I know it does," Jaehyun replied, pushing his hand through Taeyong's hair again, relishing at how the other man shivered more into his hold, "the shuttle should be here soon."

"Ok," Taeyong closed his eyes, dropping his head back to Jaehyun's chest.

It was strange to Jaehyun how fast he had become comfortable with Taeyong. His title as prince didn’t make trusting people easy; there had been too many backstabbings and attempts at his life for trust to last. But something in Taeyong was different.

'Different indeed,' Jaehyun couldn't exactly word what it was yet, as he waited for the shuttle to bound its way down the last corner of the lot, his grip traveling lazily down Taeyong's back.

It took both him and the royal chauffer too long to unlatch Taeyong from his side long enough to maneuver him inside the shuttle, where he instantly latch back on to Jaehyun; not that he minded much. It took about ten more minutes to get a clear home address from Taeyongs lips. Jaehyun would've taken him home, but he didn’t want his family finding out about Taeyong. At least not for a while more.

After the initial difficulties, shortly enough Taeyong was cradled under his chin again. Wrapping his arms around Taeyong's Jaehyun dozed off also. The address Taeyong had given was for the academy housing on the other side of the city.

They would be shuttling for a while.

It was about fifteen minutes later when Jaehyun heard his name being called my Mr.Kim, the imperial chauffeur assigned to him.

"Speak Mr.Kim," Jaehyun answered gravelly.

"There seems to be a detour on our route my prince, it might take us longer to reach our destination. Do you mind if I take a new route? I might take longer?”

“Do what you must,” Jaehyun said distractedly, his eyes glued down to Taeyong on his lap.

He felt a bit like a creep, looking at Taeyong as he slept.

Honestly, Jaehyun didn’t know what he was doing currently. He was usually much smoother than this, proud in the way he could get anyone he wanted with a couple of well-placed words and touches. Not that he wanted Taeyong in that way. Did he?

Ignoring his own thoughts, he focused on Taeyong again, who didn’t seem to be having a restful sleep. Taeyong’s face was pinched and tense, and no matter how much Jaehyun tried to smooth the tension between Taeyong’s eyes with his fingers, the tightness would return. Jaehyun was getting bothered again, something was clearly wrong with Taeyong, why didn’t Taeyong tell him? Weren't they friends?

Taeyong groaned and Jaehyun stilled, snatching his hand away.

“Jae-,” Taeyong whined, stretching himself out to rest his head next to Jaehun’s neck. His breath spreading goose bumps on the skin found there. Jaehyun would've chuckled, if it weren’t for the sudden wetness on his neck, and a firm roll of Taeyong’s hips.

The feeling went straight to his dick.

What the fuck!

"You smell so nice Jae-,"Taeyong mumbled into Jaehyun's neck, lapping more at the skin.

"Oh shi-"Jaehyun rumbled, gripping onto the back of Taeyong’s hair, making to pull Taeyong away. Taeyong moaned at the feeling, his eyes rolling back. It had been awhile since he's had sex. That was the only reason why Jaehyun nuzzled fiercely at the soft skin of Taeyong’s cheek.

They were only friends.

"Let's not do something you can't take back," Jaehyun said hotly into Taeyong's cheek, as he pulled him away completely.

Taeyong whimpered, "you taste like...peaches," Taeyong mumbled and the next thing he heard was light snoring at his ear.

Jaehyun had to move him far away.

His pants were tight, and his head was full of confusion.

"Remind me to tell your friends never to take you out clubbing again. A complete menace,"Jaehyun fussed, extracting the rest of Taeyong's limbs from around him and arranging him on the seat beside him.

"You're my friend to Jaehyu…," Taeyong whispered dreamily into the leather seat under his head, tugging on the seams of Jaehyun’s pants, "..,my friend."

Why was he being punished?

"Go to sleep Taeyong, I'll be right here," Jaehyun passed his hand over dark locks.

"Slee-" Taeyong was out like a light.

After twenty odd minutes, He and Taeyong were walking towards the academy dorms (more like Jaehyun did most of the walking...again). And for some reason Jaehyun couldn’t hold back the biggest question he had all night.

“Taeyong, can I ask you a question?”

Taeyong looked at him quickly. The fresh air was sobering him up somewhat, his cheeks were still rosy but at least his eyes were able to focus more.

"Sure."

Jaehyun licked his suddenly dry lips in hesitation, “If something’s going on with you, you know that you can talk to me right, I’m your friend.”

Taeyong looked at him solemnly, then turned his head to the concrete under them, “I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

That was a lie and they both knew it. But Jaehyun let it be, wrapping his arm around Taeyong to shield him from the cold, “Okay then, I’m here for you though.”

Taeyong simply nodded, stumbling a little on his drunken feet.

“What number is yours?” Jaehyun asked as they finally made it to the walk up student housing. Jaehyun raised a brow at this. The walk-up dorms were considerably more expensive than regular student housing, but then he remembered that Taeyong was Mr. Kim’s son. Not that he could speak much about it since he didn’t live on campus at all.

“...eighteen A...” Taeyong answered while humming a indistinguishable tune under his breath.

Lucky enough they were at Taeyong’s dorm in no time.

"Prince Jaehyun?" Said a voice from the small patio furniture on the small stoop of dorm eighteen A, before a shadowy tall form emerged.

"Lieutenant Jung?"Jaehyun was surprised.

"Your highness," Changmin hissed, hard face in the direction of Jaehyun's arm on Taeyong.

What was happening?

Changmin was usually an intimidating figure at his father's side, with a mouth that could cut down the most prideful of men. He was downright terrifying under the dim light of Taeyong's porch.

Here Jaehyun was attempting the same, but the effect wasn't as strong with a floppy drunk man between them.

"Changmin?"Taeyong looped his head around to find the man, "what are you doing here?"

Changmin's face was unreadable, though his eyes softened a little, "checking up on you."

"Well that’s nice," Taeyong said, digging deeper into Jaehyun's side, not noticing the tension between the other two men.

Jaehyun didn't move a muscle.

"Chanmi...chanmi… chanmi," Taeyong whispered wiggling under his arm.

'Cute,' Jaehyun melted, a smile threatening to overtake his face. That was until he felt a glare hit him.

"Please hand me my little brother back, your highness?" Changmin’s words came out more like an order.

An order Jaehyun was happy to oblige, shrugging himself off Taeyong and stepping back as Changmin took a hold of the inebriated man.

"No! I want more peaches," Taeyong struggled weakly in Changmin's hold.

Peaches?

Jaehyun felt a pang in his gut. Taeyong was relentless.

"Peaches?" Changmin looked disgusted, "how much did you drink Yongie? Do I have to have a talk with Ten again? I just know this was all him. Where is the little shit? I hope you guys didn't vandalize the bot charging station again."

What?

Jaehyun looked at the sweet drunk Taeyong in amazement. That vandalization had been on every local news station for about a month, and the perpetrators were never caught. They had used perminate paint on the bots, and till this day there were a few still tagged.

"Shhh!! Chanmi, that was a secret," Taeyong whispered loudly.

Changmin rolled his eyes, "Well, nothing's worse than when you trashed that bus after three shots of dragon's breath whiskey."

What was he hearing? Jaehyun could see Taeyong face flush with embarrassment.

"That only happened twice and both times were supervised!" Taeyong's threw an unconcentrated looked towards Jaehyun as if trying to explain.

"I would hardly call Taem supervision," Changmin paused abruptly.

Taeyong froze as well, his chest started to heave up and down.

"Shit yong, I'm sorry. I know-" Changmin stopped, remembering their audience, "I'm sorry, your highness but we need to go," Changmin said, not looking at him, as he shuffled Taeyong's uncoordinated limbs past the door and shut it behind him.

Jaehyun would have thought it rude if one thought weren’t plaguing him.

He and everyone else knew that commander Jung Yunho only had one child, due to Opia's very unfortunate history. How were Taeyong and Lieutenant Jung related exactly?

……

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading ;) . Any errors are on me, sorry for that.  
Please comment, it helps me with my writing.

**Author's Note:**

> How was it? Sorry for any errors i don't have a beta reader.
> 
> Comments and ideas are welcome thank you :)


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